Wednesday, September 30, 2015

The Little Things

Today I had a great lesson in the little things that really matter. And as you guessed at some point I will make this cleaning related - just not yet.

I received two emails that I need to share with you - but due to security for these folks ( gosh this sounds a lot like Hillary's emails) I won't share the names of the writers .But since many of you helped us make Operation Interdependence such a success - you should know this ( and give yourselves a huge pat on the back or grab the person next to you and tell them I said to hug you) If you don't know or don't remember this was when we collected small food items and toiletries for the troops. I know this is probably the one of my favorite things to do. Of course the biggest problem we have is finding great stuff that will fit in baggie. I always try to find things for the ladies in the military. The way I see it - the government always puts things out to bid and the lowest bidder wins. Can you imagine the shampoo or soap that won that bid???? Does bad hair day everyday come to mind? So I try and find some nice travel size shampoos and conditioners. Then I guess maybe since my daughter is studying Public Health and I have heard more disease horror stories - anti bacterial hand gel is always top on my list . Goodness knows where these folks are located and what icky bacteria or viruses are there. But this year I found mini ( cause you know how big they are - since they are always at the gas station register) Slim Jim's - does that say home or what??? But I know many of you -had just as much fun as I did picking things for the troops. I saw cookies, toothpaste, soap and Twinkies (which we all know will last for centuries LOL). And this year we included and asked you to include notes to the troops So here is what you need to know

"My team received your care packages, They are a real morale booster. My guys loved going through them and trading items. They were just like kids. We put the notes up on our wall ."

and then the second email came

"The 4ESC received a few boxes of goodie bags today and I have to say , it was quite a treat! Things like that are exactly what reminds us of home,our families and our supporters:) ....I would just like to to say thank you for the treats and most importantly, your support.

So will you ever look at a Twinkies quite the same?  I would like to thank all of you for helping us make this collection such a success, And next year we will partner once again with KTSA radio and collect items for the troops. But this time I think we all will look at those items we donate and realize that sometimes the little things we do really mean a lot.

Alright - this is the cleaners blogs after all so I am sure you are asking - what could she possibly find to relate to little things. Just this - many of you have items of clothing or household items that have special meaning. It might be a quilt your grandmother made by hand, a wedding dress , your child's first teddy bear. Many times we just put them away and don't give them much thought. But , make sure before you put them away they are clean - bugs love to eat old stains. Put them in a box to keep out the air. And I know they are disgusting ( but there is a reason they have been around so long) moth balls will keep out the pesky bugs. Also to avoid fading make sure it is fully covered so no light can fade it. ( and this means all light not just sunlight) There is nothing as awful as finding your grandmothers quilt is now full of holes and faded. And yes, I am aware that it is just stuff - but I am a sentimental slob and that "stuff" means more to me than fancy new store bought items. My daughter has all of my dad's sweaters and every winter when she pulls them out to wear - you can damn betcha she thinks of her Grandpa .I have the flag that was draped over his coffin ( He was Air Force - Strategic Command and very proud of it), I put that flag in an air tight frame with special glass to avoid fading. So remember these are the little things that really matter - take care of them and make sure that the next generation of your family can have them too. I promise you that your family will love them much more than a Picasso hidden in the attic ( not that I have one - so I may be off on that ) But they will appreciate the love those items have connected to them and treasure them, So just make sure those things are in the best condition and they will be there to pass on .