Mamamontezz's Mental Rumpus Room

My Letters

I have finally written my letters for the Letter Project, Christmas Edition. This is the first one, the other two are continued below. Please, feel free to add your letters to this in the comments, or write one and post it on your blog with a trackback to Slagle's post.

To the brave man who fights alongside our brave sisters,

Little Brother,

Often are the times I think of my young brothers in Iraq and hope so hard that you are doing well.

As I get ready for the holidays, I wish there were a way to bring you home, if even for just a few brief moments. If it were possible, I would wish you home to sit beneath the tree in a warm, dark room and watch the lights twinkle and glitter. To feel the warmth of the smouldering embers as the fire in the fireplace slowly dies to a soft red glow.

I would wish you home to raid the refrigerator in the middle of a dark, starry night for a sandwich made from the leftovers of Christmas dinner, and a cold long-neck of your favorite beer. To walk from a hot shower to your chest of drawers for clean, soft underwear and socks and your favorite jeans and t-shirt. I would wish this for you tonight.

I would wish you a few sweet moments in the sweet embrace of your love, to stroke her hair and kiss the salty tears from her eyes as she dreams of you and wants for you to come home. To watch your little angel asleep in bed, all innocence and love and hopes and dreams.

Sadly, wishes do not always come true, however badly we want them for someone. But be comforted in knowing that each of us holds you in our wishes and prayers today.

Thank you, little brother, for being where you are, for doing what you do, and for doing it for your family here at home, the family of all of us who believe in you and what you do.

With fondness and gratitude,

Lila Meyer
Mamamontezz
[mamamontezz@sbcglobal.net]

To the brave woman who fights alongside our brave brothers,

Little Sister,

I was thinking of all the little sisters overseas and hope that you and all of the others are doing well.

I imagine you're pretty tired of the boy's club by now and would give your left one for a little bit of privacy for even five minutes. Must be a lot like how my aunts must have felt growing up in a home of 13 boys with only one outhouse in the middle of Maine.

We have had pretty warm weather here in Indiana for a December. The days have been in the 40's and 50's, and it just cracks freezing at night, so it's good sleeping weather. Most of the leaves are finally down, and the grass has that pretty green color it gets just before it gets too cold, almost emerald and soft when you look at it. The kids are enjoying this last respite before winter finally begins in earnest, and if I have to run my daughter's coat through the washer one more time to get the muddy dog-prints off of it... Well, you catch my drift.

Anna, my 10 yr old and the apple of my eye, watches the news with me, and sees the faces of both the men and the women like you who are currently in Iraq. She prays for you every day, and when her teacher asked for those things she was thankful for at Thanksgiving, all of you made her list quite prominently. She wants to be a Marine, and I hope she can reach her goal. I was never able to serve, because I was just too big and too out of shape and way to blind even with the RPG's to qualify. I always had wanted to follow in my father's footsteps, a 20 yr USAF retired Master Sergeant. Perhaps his granddaughter will.

We are all keeping you warm in our thoughts and our hearts. I hope that even though you weren't able to be home, you were at least able to enjoy some of the blessings of the season. My little family sends it's love, and cheer, and gratitude to you, today and every day.

With fondness and thanks,

Lila Meyer
"Mamamontezz"
[mamamontezz@sbcglobal.net]

_____________________________________

To the gentleman who leads my young brothers and sisters,

Kind Sir,

Yours is a thankless job in these days of both the certainties and the uncertainties of war. You make decisions each and every day, moment to moment, the outcome of which you may know instantly and with devastating effect, or not for days, weeks, or even months. Because you do so, because you do everything you can to make the correct decisions for achieving your goals and still safeguard those entrusted to you, I thank you.

Yours is a job that I could not do, and this realization makes me appreciate all the more that you are able, and that you have chosen to do so.

During this season, when you are far from home and familiar sights and sounds, I would wish for you a quiet and uneventful time. To have no after action reports to file, or letters to write to stunned and grieving loved ones.

I would wish that you are able to spend some time either online or over the telephone with those who love you, and whom you love. To hear in their distant voices nothing but love for you.

I would wish that you find yourself surrounded by friends who care deeply for you and share with you the joy they receive from those who love them back home. To enjoy a crumble of fudge made by your radio operator's little girl, or a Crayola drawing by his son.

I would wish that you find comfort in knowing that your efforts are not only appreciated by those to whom you report, but also by the men and women you lead each and every day. To see in their eyes trust, respect, loyalty, and fierce, determined love.

I wish these things for you out of gratitude and respect. You are in the prayers and thoughts, minds and hearts of me and my family as you remain on guard, protecting all we love and cherish.

Fondness and thanks to you,

Lila Meyer,
"Mamamontezz"
[Mamamontezz@sbcglobal.net]

Posted by Mamamontezz at December 8, 2004 10:37 PM