Thursday, October 28, 2004

Letters, Blessed Letters

Sprout's letters finally started arriving the other day. In this age of instant communications, getting hand-delivered personal mail is quite a novelty. It was so exciting to open the mailbox and get just a glimpse of the corner of his letter beneath a Citibank credit card offer, a bill from the YMCA and a Sam's Warehouse flyer. I swear, I could wallpaper the Pentagon with all the junk mail I get. And it wasn't just one letter, but two. Apparently the recruits thought that their letters were being mailed immediately but they were actually held up in some drill sergeant's office for a week or so. I reckon Uncle Sam didn't want us to have an address to write to our soldiers during the first few weeks. I suppose a letter from home to a homesick soldier during the Total Control phase doesn't help matters much. I sat down and wrote a long letter and mailed it at the post office the next morning, so I hope he got it today.

And now today, there is another letter. His letters are so good to read. He sounds like he is adjusting well, even if it is hard. He says he went to the gas chamber this week, I can't wait to hear about that. He says he will call us the first chance he gets, which I expect will be this weekend since Red phase should end tomorrow, I think.

Until I hear his voice again, a blessing for Sprout:

"May the Lord bless you and keep you; May the Lord let his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; May the Lord look upon you kindly, and give you peace." Numbers 6:24-26

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