A little over two months ago, I selected from this website a young lady contact serving in Iraq who represents many male soldiers and just a few females.  One of the things requested for the females was 'smell good' stuff to remind them they are women and not just 'one of the guys.'  I felt impelled to send a care package with a hot pink fluffy bath towel, a loofah, and Bath & Body Works shower gel, body spray, and lotion to 'any female soldier' as a morale boost for a girly girl amongst all those macho men.  About 8 days later, I got an ecstatic e-mail from the young lady contact herself.  She saw my return address on the care package and it was from her home town!  Small world, right?  So she opened the package herself because it was from HOME!  She and her roommate share the Bath & Body Works stuff and the loofah and bath towel went to another one of the females.

Anyway, we just hit it off right away, for reasons we are still trying to completely figure out.  We feel like we've known each other for years.  We e-mail each other several times a week.  In a former career, I worked in the E.R. of a regional trauma center.  She is a medic.  At her tender age, she is seeing things that no one should ever have to see, EVER.  I am twice her age, a couple of years older than her own mom.  She says she can tell me stuff that she can't tell her mom because her mom freaks out and cries and gets all emotional - a totally normal reaction given what this young woman has experienced - and still has 12 more months of it to go.  I am amazed by her maturity and strength and I am proud to be her buddy for the duration. 

She asked me if I could send soccer balls.  They give them to the kids there and believe it or not, that makes some of their parents more likely to help the Americans, and it can actually soldiers' lives!  I would give this woman one of my kidneys if she needed it so, heck yes!  I can send her soccer balls!  In fact, we are having a collection at work and hope to get a couple hundred soccer balls donated.

So that is my story about my extra special soldier, 'cause they are all special.

Your fellow support junkie,

Lilly

I know how people on here have said more than once about how you were meant to be matched with certain soldiers.  The first response I got from a contact was from a soldier that was from a town next to the one I lived in during high school.  My most recent response was from a soldier that is from a town next to where I live now.  It truly is a small world, and it is amazing how we are able to make these connections.

Just to let you know -

I had the soccer ball collection at work for 2 weeks, mid June to end of June.  i was hoping to get 150-200 soccer balls.  We got 585!!!  AND the money to pay for the postage!  AND some money to also send the pumps and needles to reinflate them!  AND some money donated to Any Soldier, Inc.  I gave people who wanted to donate money the choice of a tax deductible donation to AS or a non-deductible donation towards postage.

I do work for a large corporation whose backing I had for the soccer ball collection and a lot of co-workers really helped with this.  I encourage any of you who work to approach your employers about having a collection for AS contacts.  I have not had anyone say no to me when I say it's for our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan!

Lilly - How absolutely marvelous.  Thank you for all of us.  It is wonderful to hear success stories like that.  It gives me hope that I can spread the word better and get more people helping us out.

Mary

Amazing!  That story should have a whole thread of it's own- what a major accomplishment!

 Good Job!

Lilly, thank you so much for all you have done. I am proud to call you an AnySoldier sister!

Julie

What an accomplishment!  Congratulations!

Pat