Packages
“He is at a war zone why are you buying him video game?” My friend and I were at the store recently and I was buying stuff for my husbands care package. The contents of the box were so juvenile,it was almost silly. I made my husband an Easter basket filled with every jelly bean brand imaginable and lots of other stuff. I also bought him a video game to play on his PSP, ironically it was a war game. The funny thing is that I try to send him a care package every month as long as he provides me the address to send it to and every month I send things that are not essentials to life but fun little things that he could probably get for himself. These packages became a subject of debate between my friend and me recently.
My friend had said to me he is in a war zone why does he need video games. She seems to think that this is frivolous need. I tried to think about it and in reality maybe a video game or box of honey buns is not essential but those things mean more to the soldiers.
They get a feeling of excitement in receiving a box. “You pick up a gun/ riffle everyday you want to have something more waiting for you,” said my husband. The soldiers get a feeling like they are not alone that their family members think about them and care about them. I think about how horrible it would feel if I never got a package or letter from home if I were far away from my family. and yes you can talk on the phone, you can email, or even use Skype but that is not the same as having something tangible and knowing it cam from your loved one.
Care package come from all over now not just from family members. There are so many organization that do care packages to soldiers. All of these efforts are just to make sure the soldiers know that they are appreciated and that they are cared about. I’m sure it’s easy to feel detached from the world when you are so far away from your family.
Like I said my packages to Howie are not essential to life, but they are essential to him. I know well enough to know that if I get him a box of honey buns he’ll be happy because it would show that I remember that is his favorite snack. I think it’s the little things that count.
bolingj said,
April 6, 2010 at 10:30 am
A few friends of mine who shipped overseas in the military love videogames during their downtime — most of them are getting proper exercise and such from their actual military work, so it helps them ease the physical AND mental stress.
Some of them did tell me that sometimes the war games can affect other personnel emotionally (especially the ones that have seen some bad things), but they also said that they’re often not realistic enough to provoke a negative emotional response.
My buddy in the Air Force also told me that getting newer movie releases helps a lot, but my Air Force buddy also has the “luxury” of being shipped to non-war zones. Not sure your husband has the same opportunity to sit down and watch a movie every now and then, aside from USO.