Letter from serving RCAF Pilot

Back in December, PEI MFRC staff and volunteers got together and put together Morale Packages for PEI military working overseas. (You can read all about it here.)

Earlier this month, we received a letter from a serving member of the Royal Canadian Air Force thanking us for the package. While this solider expresses humility at receiving one of our holiday packages, truly anyone who reads his words will be humbled.

We’ve removed aspects of his letter that would identify him, but we do have his permission to share his words. It helps to give you a glimpse into the impact we can make by taking just a few moments out of our lives to think of others. We send a sincere thank you to this soldier, and we’re so happy our gift brought a smile to his face.

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I am writing from ______ where I am currently serving with the Royal Canadian Air Force . . . For the past six weeks, I have been sitting on a well packaged Christmas gift from … PEI, addressed to me specifically.

Like a child again I have been full of questions. … What could be so heavy in a small parcel? Should I open it early for fear of its contents spoiling? That one almost convinced me by the way. In the end, I stayed busy and played the child like games of my youth appreciating the Festive Holiday. I found the very act of wonder surrounding the circumstances by which the gift made its way to me, helped ease any thoughts of loneliness I might otherwise have felt at this time of year. For that alone, I thank you tremendously and sincerely.

Late Christmas Day and much to my wife’s dismay that I waited so long, I opened the gifts collecting in the humble bed space of my tent. Among the most treasured … yours was the most anticipatory of openings. Still as a child, the sheer volume of gifts was at once playful, useful, and edible to my delight! I thank you all for taking the time out of your Holiday preparations to gather and wrap gifts for me, a complete stranger.

… You have brought out the child in me still.

With Utter Humility & Gratitude.

RCAF Pilot

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