Bring on the cookies...

In the U.S. during the Cold War, we knew--without anyone having to tell us--not to say in public that there could possibly be any positive aspects to Communism. In the current political climate, we now know that we'd darn well better "support the troops," or risk shunning. As someone who spoke out against the invasion of Iraq, I can see that my support for the troops is under question in many quarters.

But the concept itself is troublingly squishy: just what does it mean to support the troops? The natural association between supporting someone and condoning their actions creates difficulties for me. On the philosophical level, I've gotten only this far, so far: I support US military personnel in the same way that I support all fellow beings who are in danger or suffering in some way. I empathize with them and wish for them to be safe and well. I also feel a particular debt of gratitude to U.S. military personnel, who--I'm willing to believe--have chosen to put their lives at risk because they have judged doing so to be a way to protect others or end injustice. While I can wholeheartedly support the troops in this way, I can't agree to condone whatever the US military might do or has done. My Lai comes too immediately to mind.

And then there's the personal level, and the issue of supporting one particular troop, my nephew K. Now I'm coming to see that the "support the troops" concept is difficult not only on a philosophical level but on a logistical level as well.

K recently graduated from Navy boot camp and has just started an intermediate training session. He'll then come home for a brief period of leave, and then will be assigned to a Navy warship. That ship is at its home port now, but the rumor is that it may leave for a different port a few days before K is to join it.

K's mailing address changes with each move, and his mom, J, faithfully updates us with each new address. Yesterday, he reported a new mailing address, good for about the next 2 weeks. I'd already mailed off a Christmas card to his old boot camp address. Although I hope that card will be forwarded by Christmas, we're hearing that mail sent to the boot camp address has been taking a long time to get to K (because of security precautions, I suppose). So I'm only guardedly optimistic.

Meanwhile, K's birthday is January 1, so now it's time to send a birthday card to the current address, hoping that the card will reach K before he moves on again. I'll need to wait to hear what the next address will be before I can send anything else.

And J has alerted us to one more development: K is now authorized to receive care packages (he could receive only cards and letters while in boot camp). He's also reported that he's lost weight. K's grandmother's response: Bring on the chocolate chip cookies! Mom will bake a batch tomorrow to mail off on Monday morning, hoping they'll reach K by his birthday.

I hope the cookies, cards, and K will meet up at the appropriate times and places, but I'm starting to imagine that as K travels about the world, a cloud of letters, cards, and packages will be following along behind him, never quite catching up before he moves off again.