As a former Navy SEAL
and a military veteran with 13 years of active duty service I can tell you
first hand, how much it means to be in a foreign, hostile environment, and show
up to mail-call and receive a nice note or care package from a friend, family
member, or in some cases someone you have never met. That is why I want to take
a moment to highlight Wicked Good Cupcakes as they bring the Taste of Home to our service men and women. For
the record, I do not work for Wicked Good Cupcakes, nor have they asked me to
promote their business. Tracy at Wicked Good Cupcakes asked me if I would be
interested in writing a guest blog in honor of Veterans Day.
For the last couple of years Tracey,
Scott, and Danny from Wicked Good
Cupcakes have taken the time and care from their extremely busy
holiday schedules to organize an event that oversees letter writing and thank
you notes to our troops. Taking their product (which happens to be one of the
most delicious treats on earth) and sending large quantities of Wicked Good Cupcakes overseas
to our troops. These troops are ensuring our freedom here in the United States.
Nobody enjoys being
away from their family during the holidays, but I can assure you it is a completely different
feeling being in a war-zone, and wondering if you have spent your last Christmas
with your family, friends, and loved ones. Therefore, when I see businesses
that are not all about the talk, PR, and “We Support the Troops” rhetoric, who actually organize and take action it fires me up and gets me a little
emotional. I have attached a picture of myself in my trailer in Fallujah, Iraq
in 2010. I clearly made out like a bandit on this night. You can see by the big
smile on my face that I was excited, not only to open the care packages and share what was inside; but also to see that my friends, family, and loved ones took
the time and resources out of their busy schedules to make sure that my buddies
and I felt loved and appreciated.
So this Holiday
season, I encourage you to take a moment and think about those men and women
overseas that won’t be with their families for Thanksgiving and Christmas, but
who are making damn sure you will be present and enjoy yours!
Don’t
forget to keep your eyes open and support companies like Wicked
Good Cupcakes who are talking less and doing more!
Read more in Eli’s Huffington Post Article, To the Heroes Spending the Holidays in War-zones.
