I like to reflect on my pass, so to not make the same mistakes. I also like to draw up old times, and relive them again. I have a Christmas memory I wanted to share. I don't remember the year, but it was in Germany. We were in a unit (military) that had a large group of single soldiers. It was always a tradition for me to invite all the single guys and girls to where ever we lived, but this year, even my house could not hold them all. A group of ladies and I got together, and we had bake sales, and made the money to provide the single guys with something for Christmas. We baked, and planned, and wrapped until we were about to drop. The important thing was to provide the people without family something close to home. I had some extra money left over, so I went to the German store to see if I could find something to add to what we already had. There was a little German boy playing with a toy in the floor of the store. It was a plastic fire truck, with Santa's head sticking out, and as the truck moved, the Santa head would go round and round. It was so cute, so you guessed it, I bought some. I told the German store owner what they were for, and told him I wished I had enough money to buy all of the soldiers a toy, and this little old German man with a tear in his eye, gave me his entire stock of toy trucks. Now it wasn't until I got back on post, that I realized what I had done. The angel on one shoulder said I shouldn't have planned to buy toys for grown men, but the devil on my other shoulder reminded me that those were called men, but to look in their faces, you could still see the little boy and girl in them.
I took over the day room for the night, and put together those goodies, with the toys on the very top. I think I left and went home about 6:30 the next morning, not realizing that it was Christmas morning. As I looked back at the building, with tears in my eyes, I realized that asleep, in that building, were someones baby. That by day they were defending our country, but at night, they were little boys, who could have used their mother's love.
Well, the next day I get a call to come to post. It's the big brass. They did not sound happy. Now you know when you get in trouble, that devil on your shoulder goes away, and leaves you to face the music, so here I go in to face it alone. My good angel was of course telling me she told me so.
I walk in those big impressive doors and hear the most commotion I have ever heard. The soldiers were in the floor, playing cars with each other. They had races on one side, and bumper cars in the other area. What I think I forgot to mention was that I brought 200 cars that day.
As it turned out I was not in trouble, but they wanted to thank me for being Santa Claus. They were our fighting men and women, but for the day, I was mom.
Luanne
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A Christmas Memory
Karen
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