yellow x submarine

"UNLESS someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not." -The Lorax

[yellowxsubmarinex]

My favorite soldier,

I sent you an email about an hour ago. You may have already read it or you may still be sleeping, but I still sat down and found myself needing to write to you. Clearly not because I have so much to say, but because… Well for the reason I told you before. There is something different about getting a letter, something different about knowing the other person cared enough to put a pen to the page. This isn’t coming out correctly. Your emails make my entire day, and just thinking about getting to talk to you is so exciting that I can't stop smiling. By the time you get this we might have already spoken over skype, and even that makes me smile. I hope you don't mind that this letter is short, I just wanted you to know I was thinking about you... a lot. I sent a few things to help tide you over until you get another package, please stay safe, 💜Madi

[yellowxsubmarinex]

My dear adopted soldier,

I think I have to start this by apologizing… again. My little buddy was so excited when I read your note to him, he grabbed it and tried to run off with it, and when I took it back he got mad at me. He is off pouting in his puppy palace so you’re stuck with me answering his letter for him. His name is Widget and he does not think that his mommy went overboard :p He thinks she did really well because she was so worried that some of the other guys would make it disappear like the papers and envelopes and wanted to make sure that you had enough to satisfy you until the next package comes. I think that he would tell you I could buy more treats but I would like to point out that he is pouting in his own house so… I think he might not have an unbiased opinion. As far as my name goes, At Lee the kids all called me Miss Madi, but since I’ve started at Barnes I’ve always been Miss Carmichael, or as close to Carmichael as the kids can say. You are right, I’m.. close-ish to the WalMart, I’m a little closer to, do you know where Farmington Heights Church is? I am about a stones throw from there. Hearing Seeing you refer to your missions and time out there in such a casual way makes my heart ache, I understand that peace is paid for in sweat and the blood of soldiers, I just don’t like the thought of it being your sweat, your blood. I know you don’t know me very well, and it might seem like an odd offer, but if you want to send your Aunt my information, in case she needs anything, I’ll put it at the end of this letter. You’ll end up getting an email (or probably several) before this letter ever finds it’s way to you, but, if you don’t mind, I’d like to keep sending you letters and I would really like to keep getting them from you. There is something very different about holding a page, knowing that the words on it were put there by you. Well, I mean the person that’s writing the letter. You know that I mean. Look at that, I’ve managed to ramble and embarrass myself in a letter, I think that might take a very special talent. I would like to scratch out a few lines here but I think it’s only fair that you find out exactly who you adopted lol. I hope you don’t mind that I sent a few things with this package, and please never ask to send me money for something I was happy to send you. I will fly out there, find you, and bury you in the sand, mister. I really hope that totally joking threat didn’t just land me on some kind of watch list. And this is your first bit of experience with my “squirrel” brain. If you want me to stop sending letters I totally understand. Is there any other contraband that would make you happy or bring a little sense of home to you? I can’t imagine not seeing my home in two years, so I’ve added a few photos from home. It’s okay if you don’t want them, but just in case they might bring you a little comfort, there here.I should probably let you get back to what you’re doing,

Until we talk again, Madi P.S. I can't wait to hear from you though email, here is the information if you want to send it to your Aunt. Madison Carmichael 910 Timberlake Drive Northwest Wilson, NC 27893 [phone] [email protected]

[yellowxsubmarinex]

Dear E-8 Senior Chief Petty Officer Nash Larson,

That is quite the mouthful, Mr. Larson, but I have to admit that it is also quite impressive. I feel like I should curtsy or call you sir. I absolutely loved getting your letter and I have to admit that I was also relieved that you weren’t completely devastated to get stuck with me but at the risk of sounding like a crystal thumping crazy person I think there might have been something a little more at work here. Do you believe in kismet? Even if I didn’t before meeting you, I would now. What were the odds of my letter going halfway across the world only to find someone else from our tiny little town. I do know Frank Price Church Road (another mouthful lol), there is an elementary school about a mile off the road called Lee Woodard Elementary, I worked there for a little while! I moved to Barnes Elementary about two years ago now and I love what I do. It helps that I live only about 4 miles from there, the commute to Lee wasn’t the best. I don’t know how well you remember the town but I live up on Timberlake Dr. I’m sorry, I don’t know when I started rambling. Thank you so much for the candy and the pictures, the kids LOVED them, they made little murals with the wrappers. I’m going to send you a pictue of it once it’s complete, it’s in the middle of a wall in my classroom surrounded by the other pictures you sent. (Not the one of you, as my adopted soldier I kept that one and sent one so you can put a face to this sloppy handwriting.) From the postage mark on this it looks like it took about two weeks to get here. I feel like I should send something every week so you aren’t waiting six weeks to get something back. I can’t help but hope that you’re safe out there, and there are a few things in the package that I hope you’ll enjoy. I wasn’t sure which one is your favorite and I didn’t want to just stick you with my favorite (the chipotle habanero is so good) so here is a little variety. I added more paper and envelopes too, just in case there weren’t enough last time. I've probably bored you to tears at this point so I'm going to let you go. Please be safe, and I look forward to your next letter, and if you can't find the time then maybe I'll see you driving down main when you get home.

Your adopted kindergarten teacher, Madi

[yellowxsubmarinex]

Dear soldier,

I keep telling my kids to make sure they say thank you to the soldier that is going to get their letter, but to you I want to start by apologizing. I know you were looking forward to getting a message from one of the five or six year old children in my class, and I wish I had a better explanation than I just don’t have enough kids in my class. We are from a small town in North Carolina, I don’t know if you’ve ever heard of Wilson, NC? Don’t worry if you haven’t, we are a tiny little dot on the map that most people have never seen let alone been to. I guess I’ve traveled off on a tangent here, my point was that we fell short by one letter and I am writing this letter hoping that you won’t mind getting a letter from the teacher rather than a student. Thank you. Thank you for serving, thank you for choosing to put on that uniform and to stand up for the people that can’t stand up for themselves. To me, and to most, it doesn’t matter what job you perform, the fact that you chose to join in the first place is braver than most people ever have the courage to be. I know the opinion of a kindergarten teacher isn’t very high up on anyone’s list of importance but I sleep better at night knowing that there are people like you out there. I hope, when you lay your head down tonight, that you’ve smiled a little more today than you did yesterday, but not as much as you will tomorrow. I want you to know that, even though we don’t know each other, I’ll be praying that you get home safely, to whatever you may have waiting whether that’s a family, or a wide open future that you get to paint any way you want. Not all heroes wear capes, you and your men are living proof of that, and before I lay my head down to sleep tonight, you’ll be in my prayers. Since you were unfortunate in letter reception and got stuck with me, I hope you don’t mind that I took to liberty to add a stack of envelops and blank paper with the letters, if any of the soldiers would like to send a letter to someone you can have them shipped to this return address and I’ll make sure they get in the mail. Thank you again, for everything you do, especially the things that no one will ever get to see.

With my heart felt appreciation and respect, Madison Carmichael