Well, they got their phones back, but only for use during personal time.  So I guess I won't be getting anymore letters.  Matt did send me a Mother's Day card and Chris got the mail before I did and saved it for me until Mother's Day.  I thought that was sweet of him.  Matt was also able to call that evening.  It's always great to hear his voice, although the cell reception there is terrible. 

Less than two weeks until graduation.  I feel like a mom with a new baby.  You just can't wait to hold them in your arms.  It's exciting and frightening at the same time.  The next step for him is Airborne school and that's kind of scary to think about.  It looks like more school after that.  The longer he's in school the better as far as I'm concerned. 

I got the nicest email from president of Blue Star Mothers.  Of course, it was sent to everyone, but it really touched me and so I wanted to share some of it.

Happy Mother’s Day to an amazing mother. Of course, you care for that son or daughter who has served in our military.  But your tenderness started long before that chapter of your life began. You showed your love when you bandaged their boo-boos; when you shared your faith at bedtime; when you joined the PTA or served as den mother for their scout troops.  You cooked those great holiday feasts, but more importantly, you cooked your signature blueberry pancakes on Saturday, packed their sack lunches for school, and made dinner daily.
When you became a blue star mother, you came up with the most creative items to pack in your child(ren)’s care packages—when your kids were in basic training, then tech school, and even when they went to war.  But you cared for more than just your own son, your own daughter.  You joined the Blue Star Mothers, so you could share your outstanding ideas for fundraisers and troop support, so no military kid had to feel alone while far from home.  All of those kids became your kids. Their pain was your pain. Their joy, yours.  You prayed for them in the middle of the night, when your heart was heavy, because motherhood overloaded you. And when they were deployed, you were deployed.  You cried with their families, and you rejoiced when they came home. (There you were, hugging every one of your kids’ fellow troops when they came back.) 

Talking to a friend last week, I was trying to explain how deeply I've been affected by my involvement with Blue Star Mothers.  This email described the feeling of caring so deeply for someone elses child as well as your own.  Their children are included in my prayers always.  As we go about our daily lives we tend to forget that there are thousands serving our country and risking their lives for us everyday.  Even when we don't agree with the politics of it all, we have to continue to remember them, pray for them and thank them for their service.