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In Honor of Veterans' Day
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Hey, here's something we didn't know: Veterans' Day, which is observed every year in the U.S. on November 11, was originally called Armistice Day in honor of the armistice that ended World War I in 1918. In 1954, it was renamed and given the added significance of honoring veterans of the armed services. We like how this holiday, coming up on Wednesday, is not so much about war or peace but rather, simply about people...People who have risked everything and made incredible sacrifices to answer the call of duty. Even if you don't fully understand or agree with why U.S. military troops are present somewhere, you can still support the troops themselves. And, of course, their families.
We asked IML'ers to share their thoughts and experiences about having family in the Armed Forces; your stories get us a little choked up!
This Wednesday, November 11, you can also catch a really cool film on PBS' POV series called "The Way We Get By," which tells the story of three senior citizens in Bangor, Maine who volunteer to greet troops as they come home from overseas. It's the kind of show you can watch together with your family, and might lead to some juicy conversations about a range of subjects.
We also encourage you to get involved as a troop greeter yourself! Not everyone's able to head to an airport and greet troops in person (but if you can, how awesome would that be?; check out websites like www.WelcomeTroops.com). You (and friends, or family, or your youth group) can become a "virtual" troop greeter by participating in "The Way We Get By"'s Troop Greeting Poster Activity where you can create your own sign, color one, or order a pre-made banner.
And to those of you who have someone close to you who's a veteran or current member of the Armed Forces, especially those on active duty right now: at IML our hearts are with you, and we thank you!
We asked IML'ers to share their thoughts and experiences about having family in the Armed Forces; your stories get us a little choked up!
This Wednesday, November 11, you can also catch a really cool film on PBS' POV series called "The Way We Get By," which tells the story of three senior citizens in Bangor, Maine who volunteer to greet troops as they come home from overseas. It's the kind of show you can watch together with your family, and might lead to some juicy conversations about a range of subjects.
We also encourage you to get involved as a troop greeter yourself! Not everyone's able to head to an airport and greet troops in person (but if you can, how awesome would that be?; check out websites like www.WelcomeTroops.com). You (and friends, or family, or your youth group) can become a "virtual" troop greeter by participating in "The Way We Get By"'s Troop Greeting Poster Activity where you can create your own sign, color one, or order a pre-made banner.
And to those of you who have someone close to you who's a veteran or current member of the Armed Forces, especially those on active duty right now: at IML our hearts are with you, and we thank you!
Add Your Drop To The Bucket
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Wow. When it rains, it pours. Or in the case of people living in the Philippines...it devastates. Typhoon Ketsana has affected hundreds of thousands of Filipino families, leaving countless children without shelter, food, clean water, and in many cases, their parents.
Then a 7.6 magnitude earthquake struck Indonesia, and the death toll keeps going up. And a major tsunami in Samoa too? Flattening villages and killing probably hundreds? That's just way too much bad stuff happening at the same time.
When headlines like this pop into our lives, it's easy to say, "Oh, that's awful," and then go back to IM'ing our friend about how our crush smiled at us today. After all, these countries are half a world away, and the numbers of dead, injured, and homeless...well, they can just seem like numbers. With tragedies so huge, it's also normal to feel that there's no way you, as one single person, can help.
But what if you could help? What if it were easy? What if it weren't easy but still totally worth it? Here are some ways to reach out across cultures and all those gajillions of miles and actually do something:
- Stay current on news about the recent natural disasters on websites like www.unicef.org. Share your knowledge with friends and family. The very least we can all do is be aware of what's happening.
- Donate your own money. Look at what you have saved up. Can you spare $10? Then encourage family members to follow your example and collect "pledges" to create a lump donation to relief efforts (even if it's a small one, more like a glob). Websites like www.unicef.org, www.redcross.org, and www.greatergood.org all collect donations for disaster relief efforts.
- Do something fun with friends that will raise a little money. A lemonade stand, a garage sale, things like that. Make a Saturday out of it and you'll be surprised at what a good time you'll have. Read more of IML's tips for fundraising.
- Find out if your church, temple, or community center is organizing relief efforts and ask how you can help. Someone might be collecting money, clothes, supplies, etc. to send overseas.
Other links that you can check out:
Yeah, whatever you do might be small, just a drop in a ginormous bucket. It might only help one person. But to that one person, you are a hero. And regardless of the results, you'll feel fantastic doing it!
