A THANK YOU FOR A QOV
Dear Linda and Terry,
Thank
you again for your role in the Quilt of Valor presentation for Joe
yesterday. As you heard, Joe suffers from life-threatening seizures. As a
result, Joe is unable to work, can't legally drive and is unable to
participate in many of the activities he once enjoyed, including hunting
and country swing dancing. As I'm sure you can imagine, the transition
from a strong and hard-working soldier, husband and father to a man who
must rely on others for many of the most basic independences has not
been easy. A few things that Joe said within the 24 hours after the
presentation have really resonated with me and I hope they will
reinforce for you how important your volunteer work is for so many
former soldiers.
Here are just a few quotes and observations from the 24 hours after the presentation:
"I
can't believe a Navy Seal drove all the way up from Wenatchee to honor
me. A NAVY SEAL. No one has ever done anything like that for me before."
"This
quilt is so nice. I already know where I am going to put it. It will
look perfect folded on the back of my couch and I can use it as a
throw."
Joe
read and reread the inscription on the back of the quilt multiple
times. He showed it to his mom, pointed out his name and said jokingly,
"Don't get too attached to this quilt, it's mine."
And
the real tear-jerker was this morning over coffee when Joe was
reminiscing about the whole presentation again. Diane (his mom) said to
Joe, "Did it make you feel special?"
Joe said, "It did."
Diane replied, "See, the world hasn't forgotten about you."
