Token Blonde: Noticeably Different: The Red, White and Boo-Hoos

There are several reasons why I LOVE creating unique items for children, some of which are:
-fabrics and patterns and colors, OH MY! Can't keep me away from it.
-I am able to have an outlet for my creative craziness (can you imagine it all just bubbling up inside with nowhere to go!??)
-I get to have a little bit of my own identity while still being a stay-at-home-momma to my favorite little 4 year old
-I end up "meeting" the most fascinating of people
But the most important reason behind my passion is because I truly believe this to be my "mission" and way of reaching out to touch others lives. Somehow in the midst of my cray-cray quirkiness, God has given me gifts and allowed me to to use them for His glory.

I used to think that my over-sensitive nature (i.e. a good ol' cry-baby) was just annoying; to myself and to others. No one wants to share news, whether it be good or bad, with the girl who quickly turns into a sprinkler or faucet every time you say something. But then I was reminded that God can use that too, and in ways you would never imagine. So when one of my customers sent me her "Pre-Deployment Pictures" this afternoon, I wasn't surprised at all that I was instantly a puddle of tears seeing her precious boy in one of the shirts I had handcrafted, and more importantly, prayed over while making it. When I saw the picture of his daddy kissing him on the forehead I called my own son in to share the picture with him. He of course was alarmed by mommy's complete lack of control of her emotions :) but he immediately grabbed my hand and asked "Why are you crying Mommy?" Here is the rest of our conversation, and I think it's worth the share:

Me: "I'm crying for a couple of reasons. I'm crying first because this reminds me of when your daddy left on his last deployment and you were close to the same age as this little boy, and it reminds me how sad we were and also how hard it was."
J: "Oh yes- that was so sad. I missed my Daddy so much."
Me: "I'm also crying for this family, that they will now miss their daddy the way we missed ours." and then I stopped and looked my boy in the eyes. "And lastly, I'm crying tears of joy that this family is so blessed with such an amazing daddy that he is worth missing so much."
My son and I grabbed hands and prayed for this little boy and his family and afterwards J said excitedly, "Mommy! I have a great idea! Maybe after you get yourself together a little [yes- he's four years old and speaks to me like a 16 year old] you can text this boy's mommy and let her know that we are praying for them!" and so I did (well- I emailed her since most of my customers don't share their cell numbers with me right away:)
So I don't know how many more "strangers" God has planned for me to bawl over, but I know that I'm honored and willing. Honored that you would consider letting me see these glimpses of sadness, joy and raw emotions, and willing to do whatever I can to help make the transitions smoother as well as celebrate the good. Thank you for your service, families and service-members, and thank you for trusting me to share your stories.