Please Support the Boston Silent Heroes

Today will be a quilting day for me, one of prayer and contemplation while I create. You see, tragedies that happen such as what we all have seen with the Boston Marathon strike a chord in me and trigger my PTSD from a shooting I worked years ago.

So, I pray and quilt and try to wrap my mind around something it will never comprehend while fielding calls from those who know me who will ask me if I am okay and how I am holding up.

They do that because they know things like this trigger something in my mind that cause me to become withdrawn and extremely sad.
It is part of the dispatch job that dispatchers don't talk about to often because we are expected to report to work the next day or the same day but our next shift with a smile on and act as if everything is okay with the world.

But you know what?  It isn't! It isn't okay and everything is NOT right with the world and deep down those of us who have experienced some form of trauma know that even though we continue on as if nothing ever happened.

I was lucky!  I sought counseling, received time off to rest and try to heal my mind, spoke with my Pastors, prayed, spoke with those involved with me and what I found out is, I am NORMAL!

My mind would heal, I would find my place again, I would return to work, I would smile again and yet during times like these, I am bluer than most people, I smile when I want to cry, I feel so lonely and I feel such sadness for those that will go through this as well.

However, we can help ease this sadness.  Please I am not asking for quilts for these wonderful people, I am asking that each and everyone of you take a few minutes of your day and send them a short card or note and say: I care, we care, you are a hero!

BOSTON 911 CARES Update: Below you will find the addresses where notes and letters of support can be sent to our brothers and sisters in Boston. PLEASE, at this time, no packages or food should be sent. Starbucks or Dunkin Donuts gift cards might be nice. Packages will not clear security at this time. Letters and gift cards will. Please share this on your personal site or other 911 sites. Make sure you include the wording we have provided. These are bog agencies and we want to make sure letters get to dispatchers.
Boston Police DISPATCH/911 400 Frontage St. 02118. Boston Fire ALARM/DISPATCH 59 Fenway 02115. Boston EMS DISPATCH/COMMUNICATIONS. 767 Albany Street 02118. All are Boston addresses. During any tragedy, your support of the brotherhood is appreciated. 911 CARES = we will update this as we can(Kevin)

      You are NOT obligated to send a Starbucks or Dunkin Donut card, but sending a card to each department would take less than an hour and cost less than a dollar to send.

Please, show them quilters care. Send a card and copy and paste and share this information on your own blogs and FB pages!

While you are sitting around or working around today, won't you say a short prayer for me?  I will get through this, I always do, it is who I am and what made me a great dispatcher!