Texas: Veteran's Day

There are days when I open my email and I marvel. Sometimes I giggle uncontrollably. Other times I gasp in appreciation & admiration of my fellow impactors-of-young-children: teachers, librarians, performers et. al. There are times I have a lone tear slowly make it's way down my cheek. Here's the email were I did a tad bit of D.) all of the above.

"Debbie, I was so thrilled to see your 'Red, White and Blue' book come out..... I've been waiting since I went to your workshop in Austin last summer. We have 286 Pre-K children (military kids from Fort Hood) preparing to sing it as a special Veterans Day celebration for their parents. I've ordered the book, but is there any way to get the hand motions/sign language while we are waiting for the book to arrive? I have tried to remember what I could from your workshop, but my notes are sketchy. I think I was just having too much fun! Thanks for shaing your talent with us! --- Anita, Copperas Cove TX"

Imagine the look on my face when I opened this amazing communique, just as I was packing to depart for Annaheim. Awe. Appreciation. Gratitude. Delight. All rolled into one.

Here's her second email in the train-of-thought unfolding,

"We are working on a little slide show, video piece of the kids doing the signs....... we want to add bits of the kids presentation as well as pictures of the kids with their parents in uniform. A special Veteran's Day presentation. We usually have parents from most of the service branches represented. "

Oh wow!!!! How I wanted to be a fly on the wall for this event. Yet, even though I wasn't there in person, my efforts, my work, my song, my project made it there without me. That's what a legacy is all about.

The third email in the series contained the photo above. Samantha's drawing of her hand saying "I love you" in sign language, colored in red, white and blue as our flag. Samantha is five year old and this is from her journal, before their big celebration.

Some days I just pinch myself and sigh.