Spare a Letter for Our Troops?

Way, way, way, way, and even way-er back I was not a U.S. citizen. That’s right I was actually a citizen of another country. I had the world’s…well, obviously not the world’s worst childhood…far from it…but definitely the world’s most nomadic childhood…

• I was born and lived in England from newborn through age 4.
• Moved to the U.S. from age 4 through age 7.
• Moved briefly back to England at age 7.
• Returned to the U.S. for a year or so.
• Moved back to England from age 9 through 10.
• Moved back to the U.S. the year I was in 6th grade.
• In April of my 6th grade year, I moved back to England for good.

So, that’s 2 countries, 7 moves, 4 schools in less than 8 years. Yeah, I’m exhausted too, just reading this list. I cannot imagine how my parents did all those transatlantic moves with two children. And this from someone who has lived in the same home for over 17 years. Nomadic childhood = Not-going-anywhere-adulthood. But, anyway, back to what I was writing about.

I renounced “allegiance to foreign potentates” in 1992. That’s right in order to become a naturalized U.S. citizen you have to swear off allegiance to your country of birth. I still held my British passport until it expired a few years later, but I proudly held a U.S. passport and citizenship from 1992 onwards.

I THOUGHT I knew why I became a citizen until the tragic and unfathomable events of 9/11. The Friday after 9/11 I gathered at my sister’s home to participate in a candlelight vigil. All across this nation families, individuals and groups gathered with lit candles to commemorate the dead, pray for the injured, support our troops, and express how proud we were to be Americans. It was on that night in September of 2011 that I understood what U.S. citizenship meant to me. As I gathered with people of English, Welsh, New Zealand, and U.S. descent, on that evening I was proud to be an American.

So, that’s why I am coming here tonight to urge you to participate in a campaign to support our troops. I have not had a member of my family in the military since my greatgrandfather was a member of various British regiments in the early 1900s. My husband worried about being drafted in the days after 9/11. I will support any of my children who choose to join the military. Until then I thank my lucky stars that there are brave men and women willing to fight for what is right and true.

Cheerios and the USO have partnered in a postcard campaign to spread a little good cheer to the noble and honorable families of those serving in the military. On specially marked boxes of Cheerios cereal you can find “Cheer postcards.”

• Simply, cut out the postcard on specially marked boxes of Cheerios.
• Write a note of encouragement to military families.
• Mail the postcard.
• Here’s the wonderful part…for each postcard, from a participating cereal box, received by November 30, 2012, Cheerios will contribute $1 to the USO.

Act fast because the specially marked boxes are only on shelves through November 2011, although you will have over a year to mail the cards.

Sending a Cheer postcard is an easy way to recognize the tremendous sacrifices that the military make. Thank military families who rise to the challenges at home while their loved ones are serving our country.

Don’t forget for each Cheer postcard received Cheerios will donate a $1 to the USO. In fact, Cheerios has already donated $150,000 to the USO and will donate up to an additional $100,000 based upon the number of postcards received. The donations will support USO programs that help support military families.

And don’t forget that you can send in the Box Tops for Education on every box of Cheerios cereal and other products to your K-8 school.

I wrote this review while participating in a campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Cheerios and received product samples to facilitate my review and a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to post.