A close friend I’ve known for more than half my life is heading to Iraq soon. I know other people who have done tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, but none of them were such good friends.
My friend would appreciate getting mail regularly when he’s in Iraq, so I plan to write frequently. My question for veterans is, what kind of letters did you like getting? Were there some letters that brought you down instead of giving you a boost? Normally, I would try to bring a friend up to date on my family and what I’m doing, but I don’t know whether hearing about life as usual around here would be depressing for someone stuck in a war zone.
Is it bad to let someone know you are worried about him and praying for his safe return?
Is it ok to mention that you know he must be missing his family terribly (for instance, on his child’s birthday or his wedding anniversary)?
Normally this friend and I talk politics, but is it better to avoid that subject?
If you have advice for me but don’t feel comfortable posting a comment in this thread, feel free to e-mail me: desmoinesdem AT yahoo.com.
2 Comments
Your Question
This is a very good question and your friend is fortunate to have someone so caring. To the question, I would say to try and keep things as positive as possible. If there is bad news that your friend NEEDS to know about, then you may have to tell them ….. but let them know that someone is taking care of the situation.
Try to avoid negative news that they don’t have any power over to change even if they were at home.
“Mail Call” was a much anticipated event and to receive something as little a a quick note always lifted spirits.
So in closing, its the thought that counts!
electshaw2010 Tue 1 Dec 3:10 PM
I'm writing from the wrong end of
the correspondence, but my nephew Jack is in Iraq for the third time now. He said after the first tour that the letters meant a lot to him, so I started writing at least a couple times a week. Small family doings, silly things the cats did, what the weather was like, what I was doing in politics, which flowers were blooming, how the vegetables were coming along. Also a silly cartoon at the end of each letter. (Family nickname Igor, so they all involved Igor puns – “Igor to start raking” for instance.)
runawayrose Tue 1 Dec 7:43 PM