Ripples in the pond

From an email conversation with Afghanoldblue.  I won't go into the particulars of the conversation, but in general, it was about a wounded soldier who was writing businesses to ask them to support soldiersangels.org, and relating his experiences with them.  All below is from Old Blue, and directed toward one of my Favorite Angels in Germany.
--Chuck

Every action is like a pebble tossed into a pond. You have no idea how far the ripples travel nor the effects they have.

Some things ARE unforgetable. I saw, and so I'm not surprised that those who are not too drugged to do remember those Soldiers Angels who gave them such a touch at a moment when their lives had been so changed. I saw those who would only have the vaguest of images in their memories of who brought them that blanket that they clutched, like the most precious thing in the world, all the way home.

I've never seen so much respect for sacrifice before. I've never seen such insistence on dignity when all vestiges of it had seemingly been stripped with the tattered uniform that was cut away in the effort to save what was left of the body.

War does amazing things to people, both good and bad. Your Angels in Germany may not feel that they are fighting, but they are. I'm not surprised that someone who felt that touch, and whose dignity was upheld in that way would want to add to this fight by calling for support.

You and your Angels toss so many pebbles into that pond. It may seem minor, and it may be unglamorous, and some may take it for granted... but you still stock the shelves and sweat out the backpacks, sweatshirts and sweatpants, and feed crackers to a man so high on ketamine that he is barely able to remember how to swallow... and more remember than you can possibly know.

I'm very pleased to see the evidence of it, too. Very cool. I'm a big fan, but I can never match the fan club I hope not to join. I don't want to pay the club dues. (Of course, that's up to the fortunes of war.) Those who have paid the dues are the ones who can appreciate what you and your Angels do in a way that I can only admire. I've been priveleged to be a fly on the wall once. It was so humbling.

Great so see a dues-paying member who reaches out to support the Angel who is there for the next guy. Ripples beget ripples.