Teach your children well… about troop support

This Holiday season has opened up a couple of great opportunities for me to pass on a family value to my youngest daughter who is five-and-a-half now. I know that most people who read this blog are very supportive of our troops. I know most of you would agree with me that support means we don’t just say kind words, but we also do many kind deeds that show the support we verbally profess. Actions speak louder than words, or so we are told. I agree with that assessment.

There is another old adage that I like to keep in mind when I am finding teachable moments for my kids. In the South we say “Being born in a chicken coop doesn’t make you a chicken!” It’s a good adage to remind us that just because our children are raised in military families or military supporting families does not mean they are guaranteed to grow up understanding what troop support means.

One morning we were at a local shopping center and we spotted the typical bell ringers standing at the front door. I try and keep a little change on hand so Emma can put some into the kettle. This particular morning, however, was horribly bitter with very gusty wind. I bundled up my little one and headed for the door. I planned on smiling at the bell ringers and charging full force into the warm entrance of the door, but the decor on the vests, jackets and hats of the bell ringers caught my eye. They were Vietnam Veterans who were serving our community by collecting money for the needy.

I stopped, put my bundle of joy down and grabbed a couple of ones out of my wallet. I stopped thanked both of the Vets at that entrance and walked into the store with purpose. I told Emma why I stopped after all and why I thought it was important to support the service those four men were offering to the community. On the way out of the store we went to the other side and stopped and talked with those men. They were shaking from the cold, but they seemed genuinely pleased to be helping. I asked the men at both entrances if Emma and I could get them a cup of coffee — our treat. A couple of guys took us up on the offer. We went back inside and asked Subway if they would brew a fresh pot for our Veterans. They did, and in a few minutes the guys were sipping hot coffee to help keep them warm.

It was a simple act. It was spontaneous, but it was a great opportunity for Emma to talk to a couple of Veterans outside of our own family and to see that there are always opportunities to say thank you with more than your words. From that point forward she would ask when she saw bell ringers “Mama, are they our Veterans?” I’m glad she is learning to keep her eyes open.

Another opportunity for her to see this kind of support from another angle came yesterday while we ate lunch at a small restaurant with my parents. My son Nate was with us and was in uniform, much to his own chagrin — he wore it after much begging by his grandmother. Nate sat down and ordered a burger and when the waitress brought it to our table the waitress informed him that another patron had asked to have his meal added to his own bill. We were all kind of shocked and we were not expecting it. As a matter of fact, for some odd reason, it made me cry.

My son asked the waitress who the patron was and she pointed at a man in a red shirt who was leaving. Nate hopped up and approached the man to tell him thank you and to shake his hand. The man is a retired Marine. He laughed and told Nate “I can’t believe I bought an Army guy a lunch!” Nate laughed and offered the man an “Oorah!” The Marine appreciated that Nate was bilingual and they had a good chuckle about it.

I think that those of us who love and appreciate the military, whether we are active, reserve, retired, family, friend, or community supporters, understand that it is a lifetime commitment of actively showing that support — in both word and deed.