How shopping changes when you're an Angel....

Was talking with another Soldiers Angel member yesterday, and we were laughing over how shopping changes when you're an angel.

She asked me"Have you ever gone in the store to get something and you end up seeing something you want to send to the troops and you end up leaving the store without getting what you came for in the first place?"

And I started cracking up and replied"oh my gosh!I did exactly that thing today! I went in the store to get some Aleve, and happened across a stationery sale, and started grabbing the stationery.Paid for it,and walked out to my car and said 'D'oh!I totally forgot to get the Aleve!"Had to turn around and go back in the store again:)

As I said, I mostly write letters to the troops due to a limited budget. But, there are times we send packages, or perhaps if someone is asking for something small(pens and stationery)I'll try to include that. And I unwittingly 'tricked' my boyfriend when we sent some magazines. You know all the services have kind of a friendly rivalry between them?  I had gotten to know a very nice sailor who sent an email in response to a letter I'd written, and asked the boyfriend, "Hey,do you think we can send him some of your recent magazines?"

So, we packaged them up and sent them off and awhile later I heard from the sailor thanking us for sending them, and mentioned to the boyfriend "Heard from that sailor that he got the magazines." and the boyfriend (former Army) exclaims "A NAVY guy! You never said we were sending the magazines to a NAVY guy!!!!" He was just joking,of course:) but now whenever we do try to send something besides a letter, he'll always look at me and ask suspiciously "WHAT branch of the service is this person in??"    (Don't worry, we always mail it out even if they're NOT in the Army!)

And don't refrain from doing something to support the troops because you're thinking that you're obligated to send 'care packages'. There are so many other ways you can support them on a budget. For instance, Kat in Georgia over at Yikes!

Click here: Yikes!

 

is always doing something special for the guys in the 48th BCT that she and her family support.

Click here: The 48th goes to war | ajc.com

 

and when she's preparing one of her 'specials' for them,she always asks for people to send emails that she will print out and include in her packages she's sending. That's how I met her and the troops she supports, by responding to one of her requests at Christmas and sending some emails.

I was pleasantly surprised (and honored) to receive some 'thank you' emails from those who had gotten my messages, and have since heard from them often. Several new friendships with some extraordinary heroes which started all because I sent an email that someone else printed out and mailed.(Thank you,Kat, for giving me this opportunity, and thanks to those troops,some of the finest people I've met!)

Now,Kat belongs to a different 'Angel' group,lol (Angels N Camouflage).....but as a fellow Soldiers Angel said yesterday "in the end, it's all about supporting the troops,it doesn't matter how you do it."

 

Just be aware that it may change your shopping habits!:)