Definition of a Good Day: Today

Today started off with about four inches of snow on the ground. And my two roommates talking loud enough to wake me up while they were playing their music.

I also got rushed last night in remembering that I had air monitoring to do today and had to prep for that at 10 at night. So by all means, I was expecting it to be one of those days. You know, one of THOSE days.

Well, I got the TO-17s out (yeah, I know, jargon you don't understand, it tests for Volatile chemicals in the air, AKA VOCs) in time to sit in on the Sergeant Major's briefing on what I needed to get my promotion packet ready for the board (I don't know what happened to the one I put together before my deployment) and so I was just expecting it to be another Ho-Hum day.

Then I got a package in the mail.

Well, actually I got two packages. One was from one of my readers who bought me something off of my amazon wishlist (Thank You!) and another was a certified piece of mail that I had to sign for.

It was addressed to Me, with the attn: to Any Soldier.

Somebody had suggested that I sign up for Any Soldier.Com as a sponsor to people who may not get many pieces of mail (unlike myself, who it appears is very well loved!). I looked at it and thought "Hey, why not?"

My NCOIC saw the package and noted it before I did and said "hey, that's an Any Soldier package, can I have it?" Because I had no idea what was in it, and I knew that I was to distribute the package as fairly to less advantaged soldiers then myself, and my NCOIC wasn't feeling much love at the time, I thought "hey, what the heck?" So I handed him the package and he and another soldier (who decided to share it) opened it.

It was quickly discovered that this package was meant for more then just one or two soldiers. In it was 126 Phone Cards. And notes from many of these people thanking us for our service, have a happy Valentines day, and call home to loved ones. Well, it was a little late for V Day, but the thought certainly counted.

So I was given the task of distributing 126 Phone Cards to the people of my task force. And after a while trying to dig myself out of a rut, I realized how good this made me feel to be able to give to other people. Many people were surprised and pleased that a Post Office in New York State would sponsor a donation program through their customers and send us these phone cards. Some people even supplied Addresses. I was sure to get people to return the generosity.

By the end of the evening, as I made it my task to brighten other people's day, I looked back on the events of the day and realized I didn't have a negative thought or emotion on my mind. I felt positively good about myself.

To you who suggested I join this program. Thank you!
To those of you who have donated money and items to me in the past, in response to this site or to merely imagine a smile on my face, Thank you! Now I can see exactly why you did it!
And to that Post Office in New York who chose my Task Force to donate your Phone Cards to, Thank you for giving me the opportunity to give to someone else.

If you wish to donate to my task force (a group of people or just one person) and want to give me another opportunity to brighten somebody's day (as nothing pleases me more!) you can send care packages to me through the above site, with the address as shown.

SGT Kami Erickson
ATTN: Any Soldier
TFMF 6B
Camp Bondsteel, Kosovo
APO AE 09340
USA

It should cost the same as sending a package within the US. The rules apply as directed on the website posted above. And I promise, I will make sure somebody who needs and deserves it gets it (and I'm not talking about myself! :P )