Cup of Joe

I first met Jason last fall when we took  a photography class together through Indy Photo Coach.  He was one of a handful of people that I actually knew through Twitter before connecting in real life.  To many people, that might sound odd, even creepy, but there a few people who are near and dear to my heart that I would never have crossed paths with were it not for Twitter.  Jason is one of those people.  I liked him right from the start – easy, affable, big Colts fan, a bit of a shutterbug . . . what's not to like?  We talked about getting together with our spouses in tow, meet for dinner or watch a Colts game together. 

Life speeds by and we only saw each other sporadically.  We made it out to dinner with our spouses once.  And then Jason was called to serve in Afghanistan.

You would think that in all this time, I would have personally known someone serving in Iraq or Afghanistan, but I have not.  And while I do think of the troops and pray for their safety from time to time, I'll be honest.  It hasn't been at the forefront of my mind.  Knowing someone over there has changed that for me.  I hear reports from Afghanistan on the news and wonder if it's anywhere near Jason.  I think of his wife, the sacrifice she's making quietly.  I worry about him.  I worry about the people he's close to over there.

Jason's been keeping a blog while he's serving.  His observations have been eye-opening for me, one who has been so sheltered from from this war.  It makes me want to do something, to be more helpful than just praying (though I don't believe there's anything insignificant about prayer).  A few weeks ago Jason wrote about looking forward to evenings at the Green Beans coffee shop on base.

Now if there's anything I get, it's how a few minutes of peace over a cup of coffee can brighten up your day a bit.  Green Beans Coffee Company serves military personnel in Afghanistan, Iraq, Kyrgyzstan, Kuwait, Qatar, Djibouti, Africa and domestically at military bases across North America. They have this really cool program where you can donate a cup of coffee to deployed soldier.  It's called Cup of Joe for a Joe.  Soldiers sign up though Green Beans and they'll randomly get an e-mail letting them know that someone has purchased a cup of coffee for them.  You visit the website and sponsor as few or as many cups as you would like. For someone who has struggled to find a tangible way to let soldiers know I'm thinking of them and thankful for all they do, this is perfect.  

Thanks, Jason, for letting me know about this program.  Thank you for your service and sacrifice.  Thank you for sharing your thoughts and observations through your blog, so that sheltered, naive people like me can see exactly what it takes to protect the freedom I so often take for granted.  I'm looking forward to having you back home again, so we can have a cup of coffee face to face and bitch about Bob Sanders and our sad excuse for a running game.

Today I Gave:  Cups of coffee to deployed soldiers.  Along with my donation, I included this note:

Every morning I enjoy my own cup of coffee in my home, safe and secure and without worry. It's because of your service to our country that I can enjoy this ritual. Thank you so much for your sacrifice. I hope you enjoy your coffee and know that back home, someone is thinking of you and so very thankful for all that you do.

Today I Received:  I just had this general light feeling after I made the donation.  It's something I've been thinking about for awhile, just not making the time to actually sit down and do it.  I'd like to make a monthly habit out of it – just skip a couple of Starbucks trips and send a few cups to some soldiers instead.