I'm no stranger to online friendships... Several of my friendships here in L-town began online at a local online forum. The group at the forum walked with me the whole way through Deat's illness. Cathryn, Tina (Filly) and I met on our forum, and have become great friends in real life... Cat helped me get my current job, her husband Billy is the one who let the girls explore the helicopter. Filly and her family have been a blessing to the girls and me over and over and over again.
I've mentioned my soldier (online therapist) friend CT before. He's currently serving in Iraq. We talk (type) often, so several of my friends and my girls have "met" him in our online chats.
In October, P.D. came home telling me how her class at school was gathering things to send in care-packages for the soldiers in Iraq, and wanted to know if CT would get any of the stuff they sent. I told her I doubted it, so she said she wanted to send one just for him.
When I talked to CT I told him about it and asked him what kind of things to tell P.D. that he'd like. (I also e-mailed a friend of his from home for ideas in the process, and made a new friend there!) He told me I didn't need to do that for him but I answered it wasn't FOR him, it was to encourage P.D. for wanting to do something nice, if he wanted to pay me back he could write her a nice letter.
CT jumped on that idea and went a bit further. He told me he got P.D. a bear all dressed in camouflage, and even had "rank" sewn onto the bear's hat so it could be a Sergeant just like him... He took pictures of himself with the bear so P.D. would have something to take to show the kids at school, but waited to send them so the present would be a surprise.
CT and P.D.'s Soldier
"Mean Mugging" the New Recruit
These acts in themselves are very nice... but nothing really amazing: a sweet kid deciding to do something nice for a soldier, the soldier deciding to do something nice for the kid. The bear arrived Thursday. CT was even thoughtful enough to include a great hand-written letter. He described his camp, his living quarters, the move his unit was making to be closer to Baghdad. He even described Baghdad and how it was was like our Washington D.C. I know CT had taking the letter to school in mind when he wrote it, but I'm sure he never imagined how it would grow to be something so much more.
P.D.'s been having a hard time at school, and had come to dread going. She loves learning, but little children HATE to be seen as "different." P.D. has always been very sensitive child. Any attention relating to losing her Daddy hurts to a degree, not only in her sorrow, but also the pain of feeling that she doesn't "fit in" anymore. When Deat died, her whole first-grade class made condolence cards for her... very sweet but it "set her apart" from the other kids. She had even said over the summer, "I hope nobody in 2nd grade finds out that I don't have a Dad."
So, P.D. has had to try to cope with having attention showed to her for the most painful event in her life, some good, helpful attention, like the kindness shown in the cards, some downright horrible. Little kids are curious, they ask questions, or they shy away... both of which has been hurtful to P.D..
Even worse, P.D. came home right before fall break telling me that a girl MADE FUN of her because she didn't have a dad. (Does the idea of hearing my baby tell that story and how it felt even need a description? I called the principal... it has been addressed.) Even with the things a Momma can do to try to make it better, it only goes so far. On Wednesday she was again, telling me how much she didn't want to go to school. On Thursday, "Sergeant Dominic" arrived in the mail.
P.D.'s been having a hard time at school, and had come to dread going. She loves learning, but little children HATE to be seen as "different." P.D. has always been very sensitive child. Any attention relating to losing her Daddy hurts to a degree, not only in her sorrow, but also the pain of feeling that she doesn't "fit in" anymore. When Deat died, her whole first-grade class made condolence cards for her... very sweet but it "set her apart" from the other kids. She had even said over the summer, "I hope nobody in 2nd grade finds out that I don't have a Dad."
So, P.D. has had to try to cope with having attention showed to her for the most painful event in her life, some good, helpful attention, like the kindness shown in the cards, some downright horrible. Little kids are curious, they ask questions, or they shy away... both of which has been hurtful to P.D..
Even worse, P.D. came home right before fall break telling me that a girl MADE FUN of her because she didn't have a dad. (Does the idea of hearing my baby tell that story and how it felt even need a description? I called the principal... it has been addressed.) Even with the things a Momma can do to try to make it better, it only goes so far. On Wednesday she was again, telling me how much she didn't want to go to school. On Thursday, "Sergeant Dominic" arrived in the mail.
Look what I got!
Love at first sight...
Friday afternoon was a completely different story. P.D. got in the car as happy as could be and chattering away about all what a great day she had. She said that her teacher loved the letter and read it to the class and wants his address to have all the kids write letters back to him (CT doesn't read this blog... don't tell him about that Steff!) She talked about how all the kids wanted to hold "Sergeant Dominic" how one boy told her if he had a bear like that he'd sleep with it every night... she went on and on.
She had the best day she's had at school since her Daddy died, a day that gave her a joy that as much as I wished and worried, I couldn't have imagined or orchestrated for her. She got all the positive attention I really believed she's needed to start looking forward to school again... all because a little girl wanted to do something nice for a soldier, all because a soldier wanted to be kind in return... all because of one letter and a bear.
She had the best day she's had at school since her Daddy died, a day that gave her a joy that as much as I wished and worried, I couldn't have imagined or orchestrated for her. She got all the positive attention I really believed she's needed to start looking forward to school again... all because a little girl wanted to do something nice for a soldier, all because a soldier wanted to be kind in return... all because of one letter and a bear.
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