Luli recently received the following letter from her friend Molly Mae. Molly Mae, the daughter of Whimsical Woman Ann Potter, is an officer in the Air Force. Both Luli and Ellen taught Molly Mae in preschool, and they have stayed in contact with her all these years. Molly Mae writes:
Dear Luli,
While I was deployed in Afghanistan last year, I struggled to find care packages and "female items" that I craved (such as things that smelled nice like lotions and soaps). The care packages were filled with everything testosterone...beef jerky...guys shaving cream...sports magazines. I would call home to mom and yell out "how hard is it to get something pink and a Southern Living magazine around here?!!?"
My mom and the women she worked with started putting together care packages just for the deployed female soldiers. I would get box after box of women's magazines, small soaps, picture frames, hair rubber bands, tampons (these were like black market items because they were so hard to find), and lots of love. I would put these items in the women's bathrooms and an hour later, everything would be GONE. Tons of little post-it notes were left on the mirrors in the bathrooms from the girls-- full of gratitude and wanting more! FINALLY someone remembered that women fight wars too!!! and FINALLY someone remembered them when making care packages...
So, here's my proposal. I would like to have a table at Whimsical Women this year. I will have care package boxes ready to be filled with "girl stuff." I would like to ask people to bring girl stuff to donate to the boxes. Finally, an excuse to get rid of all those little shampoo bottles you've been collecting over the years....or that stack of Better Homes and Gardens that you haven't sent to the recycling bin yet. If people can bring these items, I will make sure it gets sent off to deployed women in Afghanistan, Iraq, and other places around the world where women are serving in uniform.
Much love and praying daily for peace,
Molly Mae
The Whimsical Women are honored to help Molly Mae with this project. We would like to invite all Whimsical Women fans--and Whimsical Women themselves--to bring any and all "girl stuff" (lotions, soaps, magazines, hair accessories, tampons, cosmetics, and anything else you think a female soldier might enjoy or need) that you would like to donate to our American service women! Look for the collection table at the fall sale, where you can drop off your items before you shop.
