It’s Christmas Day. I wake up alone, except for Little Dog.
It’s the second Christmas since my loved one had to leave me. I can't remember last year. I was still too numb to register much of anything. I just remember that the Christmas songs irritated me. They seemed invasive and never ending. This year I am enjoying them. They seem like old friends, familiar and comfortable.
Christmas Day will be just another day for me, another day with an ache in my heart where there used to be great joy. I will feed the birds and call my friends. I will send love to them.
There are children also waking up this morning with their mother, father, sister, brother or friend gone, leaving an ache in their hearts.
These children’s mother, father, sister, brother or friend have the same ache.
There are others who will wake up with no present under the tree, if there is a tree.
Christmas is about the birth of Jesus, but aimed at providing happiness to children.
Those of us still grieving, maybe still numb, sometimes don’t get to experience the happiness of others and the efforts being made during the holidays to provide joy to children who are suffering.
I will not spend the day feeling sorry for myself.
I will find some pleasure in what has been going on in other’s lives. A giant effort has been made to ensure children have a present and feel as much love as any wrapped gift could provide.
Many organizations, local and national, have spent a lot of time and money to ensure all children are remembered on this special day, that there is a present for them where, otherwise, there would be none. It's on the news. A segment every day on different groups and pleas for more gifts.
In addition to the gifts, there are events for these children and their families to attend.
Men and women who were killed while in service to our country no longer make the news. Their children, military children, will wake up without that parent on Christmas morning.
I am sharing one event that happened many years ago, yet still occurs every year. My guest author describes this annual event. I wish it could be for every child without a parent. She will explain why it isn’t.
She tells about this event as she experienced it with her three grandchildren.
I am happy to share her journey and the joy it brought to the children and families involved.
It brings me joy to hear about it.
Let me know if this touches your heart.
Snowball Express
By Lisa Soto
Oftentimes, during our period of grief, we must deliberately choose to find joy. Snowball Express, for example, is specifically designed to create joy in the hearts of children who have lost a parent who was serving in the military. I, having lost a son in Iraq, had to deliberately choose to accompany my grandchildren during the hardest time of the year in my grief process and theirs. In making that decision, I also found joy.
As a result, I am a changed woman.
I was blessed with the opportunity to attend Snowball Express in Dallas one year. I am humbled to be allowed to attempt to describe an experience which will, hopefully, be offered to only a tiny portion of the population.
Please bear with me as the emotion is surely impossible to describe. I will offer descriptions of visuals — you will have to use your own heart and mind for the balance.
Snowball Express, as described by the organization in 2009, is as follows:
“Snowball Express is the charity for the children of our fallen military heroes. We started in 2006 with a simple idea: Provide hope and new memories to the children of our fallen military heroes who died while on active duty since Sept. 11, 2001.
“Memorials at a cemetery or listening to a long speech are not the kind of memories a child wishes to endure again. Yet that is how we honor our heroes...it is what adults do.
“By attending Snowball Express a child can see that ‘service above self’ is honored by others and is a value they should subscribe to as they continue to mature as adults. They also realize they can honor their fallen hero in ways other than by being sad or at a somber place.
“Snowball Express gives them a piece of their childhood back, allowing them to have fun and know that it’s OK to laugh.”
In my words, Snowball Express is a miracle created from the aftermath of an indescribable period marked by violence, terror, death and confusion.
Snowball Express 2009 consisted of more than 1,300 children, along with their guardians, flying from all over the United States and abroad to Dallas for five days of nothing but fun, love, acceptance, trust and, most of all, understanding. Can you imagine being surrounded by 1,300 children of fallen military heroes? At one time? Don’t. Not yet.
I was allowed to attend that year as guardian to two of my three grandchildren. We flew out of a rural town. Considering the fact we were coming from a rural area, American Airlines called to say they would furnish a room at a prestigious hotel, where we were to be picked up and taken to the airport the following morning.
Police began to arrive by 8:30 a.m. A limousine arrived at 8:45. I cannot describe the joy on the faces of those children as they loaded into that limo. As we pulled out onto the highway to begin our trip to board the Snowball Express, escorted by police and Patriot Guard members and riding in a limo, the biggest, most beautiful snowflakes you’ve ever seen started to fall. I choose to think they were sent by God.
The party that was held at the airport notwithstanding, everything from 9 a.m. Dec. 8 to 11:30 a.m. Dec. 13 was a whirlwind of action. We were greeted everywhere we went by, literally, thousands of people in those five days. When the airplane took off, the local fire department had a fire engine parked along the runway. Firefighters were saluting and they had flown an American flag at the top of their extension ladder. The American flag had never looked so beautiful.
Upon our arrival in Dallas Wednesday, people were lined up everywhere, holding American flags, saluting, waving and welcoming these children with huge smiles. That was the first time I lost control of my emotions during Snowball Express. It certainly wasn’t the last.
Snowball organizers obtained luxury hotel accommodations for every family. Sheraton Hotel in downtown Dallas was home to more than 600 attendees. We were at the Indigo Hotel. It was beautiful. Every member of the hotel staff treated us with unbelievable amounts of kindness and respect. In fact, I caught the manager of this very high-class hotel sneaking rides for the children on the luggage rack. When I asked him if that had previously been part of his job description, he said he was honored to provide a smile for my grandchildren and others.
The first night, we were treated to dinner, a movie and a concert at the Sheraton.
Thursday, we boarded buses for Southfork Ranch. Some of you may remember the television series, “Dallas.” Southfork was opened to Snowball attendees exclusively for the day. Children were offered horse rides, grooming lessons, a concert, games, archery, balloons, etc. There was so much to do, I couldn’t possibly list everything. Later, we boarded buses to attend a special Mesquite Rodeo for Snowball attendees. We were escorted by 60-plus Patriot Guard and I can’t possibly tell how many police. The highways through Dallas were closed during rush-hour traffic to allow the two-mile long caravan to pass on our way from Southfork Ranch to the Mesquite Rodeo. Then they put on a rodeo especially for those 1,300 children. It was truly amazing to see how our country and the children were honored.
The next day was the day of the “Walk of Gratitude.” After the mayor gave a welcome speech, we walked to the convention center between rows of people with signs welcoming us, waving flags and thanking us for our sacrifice. The remainder of that day was spent at the convention center, which was filled with games and entertainment for the children. This was also our opportunity to honor those who put Snowball Express together.
Saturday morning, we loaded up for breakfast at Eddie Dean’s. Breakfast was to provide time for Patriot Guard Riders and police to arrive and line up to escort us to the new Dallas Stadium.
Ladies and gentlemen, never have I seen a more beautiful sight than I did that morning.
The Patriot Guard numbered 300 that day. Five different law enforcement agencies closed highways again and escorted us to the new Dallas Stadium.
Imagine more than 300 motorcycles, as well as police bikes, riding two abreast, followed by 24 buses full of children who have sacrificed a parent to war and guarded from the rear by even more police in cars. I was overcome with emotion. Members of the Patriot Guard came from all over the U.S. It was the most amazing thing I had ever seen. It was simply beautiful.
There were literally hundreds who gave up a week of their lives to spend with these children. I have no idea how much time was spent before and after the actual event in training or preparation. I can’t even imagine the amount of time required to pull off something of this magnitude.
I can tell you, though, that over the course of those five days, I saw joy in the faces of every one of those children. Those that told me of their Mommy or Daddy were solemn during the telling, but the story was followed closely by a huge smile due to Snowball Express.
Volunteers from Snowball Express, TAPS and Gold Star Families are among hundreds who gave selflessly of not only their time, but their love. Many of these people were remembered by the children from last year’s Snowball Express or from TAPS or Gold Star Family functions held to help families deal with their loss. The same people seem to show up over and over again, all over the United States, to honor and help these families through their grief.
I feel this effort of trying to get to the heart of this organization and the people who make it possible is shallow. There simply are no words to aptly describe the feelings associated with the trip. All I can say in closing is thank you from the bottom of my heart to all of the people who touched so many hearts that week, from American Airlines employees to Snowball volunteers, from National Honor Society students to Lions Club members and even strangers who said ‘thank you’ at the mall or on the street. Thank you also to Gary Sinise and the Lieutenant Dan Band, who played music and interacted up close and personal with the children, as well as the Dallas Cowboys, who signed autographs and made the children feel special.
The experience changed my life and touched my heart. Patriotism at its finest was displayed and love at its purest was offered and returned. Sharing a child’s smile. Make that 1,300 smiles.
What else could be more important?
Have a Blessed Holiday. Please find a way to have some joy today. I care.
Sincerely,
Lynn Brooke
© 2023 Our New Chances
Photo credit: © 2023 Rachel Gareau
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