"I flew the flag for Aaron..."

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A couple of months ago, a guy that my sister and I knew when we were younger wrote to me to tell me how sorry he is to hear that Aaron passed away. He said that for some reason, he just kept thinking about our (mine and Aaron Jr's) situation and told his wife about us and they both felt so sad for us. I was grateful for their concern and have told him to be careful so that his wife and kids don't have to experience this. He is a pilot in the U.S. armed forces. He asked me not to use his name, but said that I could use his call sign, which is Flash.

Soon after that, Flash sent me another message and said he had been wanting to do something for Aaron Jr. He asked if he could "fly an American flag for Aaron Jr". I did not know what that meant for sure, but of course I told him that he could and thanked him.

That next week Flash wrote and said "I flew the flag for Aaron yesterday". He said that he would mail it out to Aaron Jr as soon as he could.

Well, it came in the mail and let me tell you, it is such a neat gift for Aaron Jr to have. What a kind and thoughtful thing to do. I am grateful that he took the time to do such a kind thing for Aaron Jr and for me. What a treasure the flag will be to Aaron Jr throughout his life.

With the amazing flag, he sent a certificate to Aaron Jr telling where the flag had been flown for him 'In loving memory of' his daddy. I also asked him to write a note with the flag so that Aaron Jr could always know what it meant. So Flash wrote a letter to Aaron Jr to explain what he did with the flag and why he was sending it to him. I am not going to quote the whole letter, but I want to quote part of it:

"To me that is what the American flag represents, our homes and our families, the very things that make our country great. Well, guess what Aaron, you and your family are part of that and I'm proud to be serving to help protect it.
I know that you have been a tremendous blessing to your mom during this difficult time since your dad died. You have become the man of the house and have helped your mom more than you know. That is an honorable act and I'm proud of you, I know your dad is too. I also know that your mom and your dad (even though he can't be with you right now) love you very much. That is why I flew with this flag right beside me, to honor you and your service during this tough time. I want you to have it so that it will always remind you of our great country, and what makes and keeps our country great - our families. This is for you Aaron. I'm so sorry for your loss.
With Love, FLASH"

That says it all, right? I want to thank Flash for the thoughtful and kind thing he has done for Aaron Jr... and all the while he is in harm's way so far away from his own family. I pray for his and all the other members of the armed forces to have safety and I thank them all and their families for their service and sacrifice.

Thank you Flash! Aaron Jr LOVES his gift.

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