Friday 16 November 2012

A big welcome to my very first guest blogger!

I'm excited to introduce you all to my very first guest blogger today, the lovely Janie Reinart.  A lady I first met a few months ago when she invited me to appear on her own website www.loveyoumorethanyouknow.com  giving me the opportunity to talk about my experiences as a Forces Mum. 

Anyways, without further ado here she is...  Please feel free to leave a comment in support of the fabulous work she does.

Happy reading, everyone x
 
 
 
I Will Dance at Your Wedding by Janie Reinart

When my son, Joe was deployed to Iraq in 2004, he wrote us a heartfelt letter after the loss of one of his fellow soldiers and several of his own brushes with death. A part of the letter said:

I think a lot of nights, restless nights, of the days to come. I ponder and daydream of the good and the bad and the anxiety weighs on me like a ton of bricks. Will I make it back? Will I be so different from when I left? What will I do with my life? Will I be successful? Will I be happy?


 
 
I answered him back: I will dance at your wedding and sing lullabies to your children.

Joe made it back in 2005. He is happy and successful. In two weeks my son is getting married. I will dance!

Fast-forward to Joe and Katie’s wedding day. Mass took place at St. Mary’s in Berea on July 28,2012. The presider was the Rev. Dan Schlegel.

Father Dan sang the wedding mass and gave a wonderful homily. He compared a giant redwood to the love and support of family and our church community. The huge tree has a root system that is only 4 to 6 feet deep. In the redwood forest, the roots of that tall tree entangle with neighboring trees improving its stability. Our family and church community will support the newlyweds so that they will stay strong in their union surrounded by our love and prayers.

 
I am blessed to have the lovely Mrs. Katie Reinart as a new daughter and friend.
The reception was so much fun. We celebrated the joining of our two families. And I danced with my son. I am waiting for the day when the second half of my prediction comes true and practicing my lullabies.


Click here to enter free giveaways of Love You More than You Know Mothers’ Stories About Sending Their Sons and Daughters to War eBooks in honor of our Veterans and their families.
 
 
A portion of the proceeds from the sale of this book will be donated to charities benefiting wounded veterans:

ReMIND.org, a Bob Woodruff Foundation initiative for injured service members and their families.

The Semper Fi Fund will also receive donations.

I am committed to continue bringing you true stories of our heroes in uniform, sharing with you the bravery and sacrifices that our troops and their families make everyday for all of us. You are invited to share your story about your soldier here at www.loveyoumorethanyouknow.com as a guest blogger. Send stories to storiesfrommoms@gmail.com
 
About Janie Reinart
As an author, teacher consultant, National Writing Project Fellow, storyteller, and poet, words are my tools. Janie seeks ways to give people a voice to tell their own stories through prose and poetry. She and her husband, Ed, are grateful for their five children and 10 grandchildren. Most weekends, you will find Janie praying and singing with the choir at Holy Angels Catholic Church.

Janie's chapter, “Boots to Ground “ in Love You More Than You Know, won second place in the National Federation of Press Women's 2010 Communications Contest in the category of a chapter/essay in a nonfiction book. Her chapter won first place in the Ohio Professional Writer's Communications Contest.

Janie's blog Love You More Than You Know is a finalist for the 2012 Milbloggies (6th Annual) Best U.S. Military Parent Blog Award.

Synopsis

In these stories, 45 mothers of U.S. service men and women open their hearts and share what it feels like when your son or daughter leaves home to fight a war.

Some were stunned when they learned that their “baby” had enlisted. Others had long been familiar with military life. But all of these mothers knew their world had just changed the day their child called home and said, “Mom, I’m being deployed . . .”

They discovered the strange mix of pride and fear. The anxiety of not knowing exactly where in Iraq or Afghanistan your son is, whether your daughter is facing mortar fire or enduring heat and boredom. Elation at the arrival of the briefest postcard or email message. The daily dread, when returning home from work or a trip to the grocery store, of seeing a government car in the driveway and two soldiers at the door . . .

Anyone who reads their stories will admire their faith and courage–and better understand the sacrifices made by our U.S. service men and women and their families.

 

21 comments:

  1. Lovely story, Janie, and I'm sure you'll be singing those lullabies soon!

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    Replies
    1. Hi Paula,
      Thank you for stopping by and reading my story. I'm going to try and attach a sound file of my daughter and me singing a round. My daughter had triplets and we were trying to soothe them. As the song went on they all started to cry louder. Hope it works! Janie
      http://snd.sc/Qi4ccU

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    2. Paula,
      You will have to copy/paste the link. This sound bite is hysterical. The "singing" only got louder.

      Delete
  2. With five children and ten grand children, I'm sure you already have you lullabies off to a tee, Janie!

    Thanks for stopping by, Paula x

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    Replies
    1. Suzie,
      Thank you so much for having me on your blog and for the warm welcome. I feel like I'm stopping over for a chat and a cup of tea. It is lovely to be here!

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    2. Great to have your here, Janie. Mine's milk, no sugar if you're putting the kettle on...

      By the way, one of my twitter followers just said your post made her eyes well up.

      It's such a lovely story, I wish your son and his new wife all the best x

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  3. Awwww. You know how all mothers worry about their children! And how that is intensified beyond reason when they are in harm's way. I thank God for blessing us with Joe's safe return.I am grateful for my darling new daughter,Katie too.

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  4. Hello Suzie, so glad to follow you here. Loved Going Underground and I know you will collect lots of fans and followers now you have your page up and running. Loved the story Janie - much success to you too.

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    1. Thanks, Jane. Very kind of you to say.

      Glad you enjoy Janie's post. Love More Than You Know is such a lovely book with some heart touching stories x

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    2. Jane, I am so happy you had a chance to read my story. Thank you for the good wishes. It is an honor to present these love stories from mothers of our troops.

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  5. If there are any spelling mistakes it's because my eyes are stinging with tears at reading this. I would be a wreck after reading your book Janie. You have 10 grandchildren? How do you cope? I only have one and knackered.

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    1. Oh Anne,
      If I was there, I would give you a hug. My friends would call and could tell immediately when I was editing the stories--from my voice-- I would be bawling my eyes out.
      Like Chicken Soup for the Soul, you have to read a little at a time. :)
      About the grandbabies--This past year my daughter had triplets, my daughter-in-law had a little boy--and my other daughter remarried and added three more to her family. Wow! I am running like a chicken.LOL
      I lived in Minnesota for 4 months with my daughter, her husband, and the three babies,a two hour flight from Ohio where I live. They are miracle babies-born three months early at 1.10 lbs., 2.4 lbs., and 2.8 lbs. They are all walking now and healthy at 16 mths. I saw them last this summer at Joe's wedding.
      God is good to us!

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  6. Nice to see you here, Anne.

    Janie's book certainly does pull on the heart strings. I have a copy on my Kindle and dip in and out of it because of exactly that. Although they're heart warming stories too x

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  7. The lovely Lizzie Lamb tried to leave a comment, Janie, but for some reason wasn't able to. Said I'd pass on her sentiments should you wish to respond...

    Don't know what went wrong but I couldn't paste my comment so I'll leave it here. Thanks for an extra special blog post and the story of a wonderful lady, mother and grandmother, Janie. Pass the tissues, please . . .

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    Replies
    1. Lizzie,
      Thank you for your kind words. Just like Suzie, I am blessed with a brave, caring son that loves his country!

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  8. What a truly heartfelt, inspiring post, Janie. Fabulous photos too. Your son sounds like a lovely man! Here's to singing those lullabies! I've also had a little read of the synopsis posted here and definitely want to read the book even if I do suspect that my eyes will probably be filling up every five minutes. Great first guest blogger, Suzie! :) xx

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    Replies
    1. Enjoy the read if you do manage to pick a copy up, Jan. And thanks for dropping in.

      I'm wondering if I should make having a guest blogger a more regular feature? x

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    2. Hello Jan,
      You've made my day. I'm just one story--a mothers' voice --crying out and representing the greatest hopes and deepest fears of a military parent.I hope that these stories will bring comfort and hope to those with children who serve.

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  9. Jane, What a touching story. I'm so glad you were able to dance at your son's wedding and I hope you continue to enjoy the milestones of his life. Thank you for allowing your son to serve with the rest of the NATO forces to keep us all secure.
    Suzie, Great kick off to allowing a guest blogger. It would be hard to top this one.

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    Replies
    1. What lovely comments, Paulita. For both Janie and myself. As always, thanks for stopping by x

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    2. Paulita,
      You rock! Thank you. We need to continue to pray for all of our NATO forces and for peace.

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