I have a funny story

And yes, Sharon, it's really a story and it's really funny!

More than a month ago some very nice parents, Jackie and Ken, joined the AF list because their son Ryan was in the delayed enlistment program (like V was). They happen to live in Michigan, about 20 miles south east of me. We've yet to meet (I promise we will!) but have been talking via e-mail and phone. I called Jackie on the evening of March 3rd as her son was preparing to leave the next morning. She was just as sweet in voice and personality as she is in the written word.

Ryan is beginning his second week of BMT tomorrow and Jackie has become yet another wonderful voice on the list. It's really nice to have someone understand how excited I am about going to BMT grad not just to see my child... but to get WARM too!!!

This past week it was my responsibility to find someone to come in daily to see to Mooch's needs, bring in the mail and water my plants. I e-mailed a few, called a few, was disappointed to find some that sounded great in print but were out of business (several). In my e-mail I said that we were going to be out of town attending our daughter's graduation from AF Basic Training. In the end only heard back from three of them out of about 10.

One was more into dog training so was calling to tell me 'no thanks'. One called, e-mailed paperwork and was waiting on my schedule to set up an appointment to meet. This sounded like it was an easy, positive solution so I was prepared to go with it. Simple is good, yes? I printed out the forms.

Later that evening I sat down to fill out the forms and an e-mail came in from yet a third pet sitter. The first thing she wrote was, "First of all, I want to tell you how proud I am of your daughter!! My daughter has also just gone in to the AFB, and she's on week 1." I set the paperwork aside and read more. This deserved my attention.

Not only did I respond, but I did a good turn as Deb did with me, I invited her to join the list of AF Moms and Dads. I knew that there were other parents who had kids at BMT, as do I, right now so Cheryl was in good hands and would no longer be alone with her MilitaryAcronym websites trying to decipher it all by herself.

She joined the list and I soon decided that I would rather support an AF Mom than an impersonal company any day. Cheryl lives about 15 miles to the north west of me so this will work out well. I hired her to be Mooch's buddy while we're away. She has a bubbly, enthusiastic personality. Mooch will love her.

Well it took less than 24 hours but Jackie posted that her son left about the same time that Cheryl's daughter Rebecca did and that it was nice to 'meet' her. Chatter got to discussing the swearing in ceremony which Jackie and Ken attended, but at the request of her daughter Rebecca, Cheryl did not.

So in comes this e-mail from Jackie... something to the affect of: "Cheryl, I think I may have a picture of Rebecca at the swearing in!" Now seriously folks, what are the odds of this happening on a national list?

Jackie posted the picture and sure enough Cheryl responded... Rebecca is standing directly in front of Ryan! Check it out!

What I didn't tell either one of them is that Rebecca is standing in the exact same spot as Avivah did just three weeks prior. *sniff!*

So that's my funny story of serendipity. I feel like the list 'matchmaker' LoL I know I'll meet Cheryl in person this week and I intend to meet Jackie and Ken soon, if not before V's grad then just after. Can't wait.

And just for Cheryl, I'm signing off with a picture of Mooch today!