Thank You to Our Military Members and Their Families

Memorial Day is just around the corner, our unofficial start to the summer.  It's the day we have barbecues, play games, go to the lake, and have fun times with our loved ones.  Being a library on a U.S. Air Force base that serves you, our patrons who are in the military and your families as well as veterans, we realize that Memorial Day means so much more.

We don't have to tell you that Memorial Day is about sacrifice because you know all about it.  Many of you are stationed away from your home and friends.  You are in a part of the country or a part of the world that is unfamiliar.  You are learning to adapt, doing the best you can to make that place your home away from home.

We don't have to tell you that some of you sacrifice everyday home life.  Some of you are deployed and are temporarily separated from your spouses and children.  During the time you are away, you are missing holidays, birthdays, anniversaries, first steps, school concerts, and a number of other milestones that can never be repeated.  You are doing the best you can to stay in touch through phone calls, e-mails, and Skype, to feel that you're together even when you're not.

We don't have to tell you that some of you have sacrificed your physical and mental health.  Some of you have gone to war zones in other parts of the world and returned without a limb or with a traumatic brain injury.  Some of you have returned from those war zones physically fine, but mentally you have returned as a different person, unable to forget the things that no one should have to witness or experience.

We don't have to tell you that some of you have made the ultimate sacrifice.  Some of you have not come home.  Some of you have a spouse, a child, a sibling, a parent, a friend who you will never see again.  There is an emptiness that will never be filled, a pain that will never go away.

What we do have to tell you is that we are grateful for the sacrifices you make to keep us and your country safe.  We are grateful that you protect our freedom so we can enjoy our way of life.  It's because of you and the sacrifices you and your families make that we can have those barbecues, play those games, go to the lake, and have those fun times with our loved ones.  We honor you, we thank you, and we appreciate all that you do.

Respectfully and humbly yours from the perch.

Cards Say It from the Heart

Remember when you were a kid and made your mom a Mother's Day card in your art class?  You put all your love, paint, and glitter into making that special card from the heart.  And your mom was overjoyed not because you were a budding artist, but because you cared enough to take the time and put in the effort making her a card that was unlike any in the whole world.

Store-bought cards are wonderful and it's great to choose the one that expresses what you want to say to your mom.  However, there's just something about handmade cards.  Talk to my mother-in-law: she loves it that her adult son (my brother-in-law) still draws her Mother's Day cards (and he never forgets to include his age on them).

Whether you're a kid or an adult, why not get those creative juices flowing and make your mom a card this year?  (Including your age on it is optional.)  There are all kinds of things you can do to decorate a card--draw, use colored tape, paste tissue paper, sew string hearts, finger paint...the possibilities are endless.  If you're still unsure of what to do, find some inspiration at websites like Cute DIY Projects, diy joy, or Red Tricycle.

Remember, Mother's Day is not about the perfect card or the perfect gift.  It's about spending time with your mom and letting her know she's special.  Whatever you do for your mom, have a wonderful Mother's Day!

With best wishes from the perch.