Saturday Morning Message: Celebrating Our Great Country
Author: Carol Lane
Today we are celebrating July 4th by virtually traveling. The opening picture is the front of one of the hotels that housed the TAPS 24th National Military Survivor Seminar and Good Grief Camp in Arlington, Virginia. In addition to the beautiful flag and flowers, the link shows pictures of the activities that happened at that seminar.
Hugs,
Carol Lane
Mother of Bryon
Responses from Survivors to last week's question
What is one place in your hometown that would be good for a group of our TAPS families to visit?
From Kelsey, mother of Michael: TAPS visitors would enjoy Cheaha State Park. It is the highest point in Alabama. The picture is Bear (Michael) and his best friend, Scott, at the park.
From Leslie, mother of Eugene: I live on Long Island, New York. We have beautiful beaches, parks and other great places. The Nassau County Museum of Art is a favorite of mine because the land outside of the museum is as interesting as the museum. The museum property is filled with large and other sized sculptures. The landscaping is natural, serene and beautiful. It’s just lovely to be there.
From Mary, daughter of William: My hometown is St Louis, Missouri and for many years we’d have fireworks from our St. Louis Gateway Arch. I live in the suburbs 30 minutes away, but could see the fireworks every year from a commuter parking lot in my neighborhood. They are not having that this year so no “Ooohs and Ahhhs” for me, but instead they are having a social distancing car gathering at an old empty shopping mall with the bands and truck vendors and best of all, the fireworks, too. I am glad my hometown can figure out Plan B to help us feel the celebration of our independence.
From Elizabeth, spouse of Joseph: Although it's not in our city, Cranston, Rhode Island, I'd suggest a trip to Beavertail State Park in Jamestown, Rhode Island. It's a beautiful place on the coast, so you can see for miles. My family went there the first Father's Day after my husband Joe died in April, 2017. It was his absolute favorite place. He loved climbing on the rocks. Our grandson Charlie was only 3 then, so we didn't let him go very far, but it certainly made him feel very grown up. Charlie and his sister Ellie (4 now) hear about Joe all the time.
From Lydia, mother of Carl: I live in Omaha, Nebraska. Most years, if you came to visit in late June, we could catch some of the best baseball. The NCAA College World Series comes to town for two weeks with the best eight teams in Division 1.
If you come at any other time, I would take you to the Henry Doorly Zoo. We would walk through an indoor jungle and an indoor desert. We could walk through one of the largest salt water aquariums in the United States and watch sharks and rays and fish swim around us.
From Samira, mother of Andres: I live in Orlando, Florida, the world of theme parks. I hope we do a reunion here! It would be a dream come true!
Question for Next Week’s Saturday Morning Message
What is your favorite plant in your indoor or outdoor garden?
Since many of us are spending more time at home, gardening can be a rewarding way to use our time. It doesn’t matter where we live. There are beautiful house plants and there are also magnificent plants to grow outside. Let’s use this as next week’s question: What is your favorite plant in your indoor or outdoor garden? It would be nice if you could send a picture and tell us why you like it. We look forward to your responses.
The Saturday Morning Message was created so survivors can share questions and read how others respond. Questions for future messages are always welcome. You can reply to this message or email online@taps.org In order to have your reply included the following week, it is best to send your response by Tuesday morning. Thank you to everyone responding this week and those who read this message.
♫ Song for the Week
This week’s song is from Lydia, mother of Carl, who wrote, “Carl played euphonium all through school from grade 5 through high school. His first solo piece was ‘Gabriel's Oboe’ from the movie ‘The Mission.’ As far as I know, there are no lyrics. I don't have an audio clip of him playing it.” I found it on YouTube for your enjoyment.
A survivor once suggested we include a song of the week, which has now become a weekly feature. One of our contributors, Andy, father of Danny, makes a free playlist on Spotify of the songs that appear in the Saturday Morning Messages along with a few other songs special to him. The playlist is called TAPS (Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors) Songs of Love and Remembrance. The songs from last week are included on this playlist.
You can send me favorite songs for this song of the week section at online@taps.org and include a note about why the song is meaningful to you.
Share Your Thoughts
If you would like to send a message thanking one or all of those who participated in this week’s Saturday Morning Message, send it to online@taps.org and your thoughts will be passed along to them. You never know how your words may touch the heart of another.
Related Stories
Favorite Hometown Places
TAPS survivors proudly share about great destinations in their hometowns to visit.
Other Items and Events of Interest
Join us on Memorial Day Weekend, May 28 to 30, for our 27th Annual National Military Survivor Seminar! We will be live streaming all of our general sessions with guest speakers.
Important Note: In-person registration is still open, but we are in a waitlist situation due to COVID occupancy restrictions in the State of Virginia.
If you have any questions, email seminarregistrations@taps.org or call our Helpline at 202.588.TAPS (8277).
▶▶ Connect With Your TAPS Family
You can discover all the opportunities to connect with your TAPS Family on our website at the TAPS Event Calendar.
About the Saturday Morning Message
The Saturday Morning Message (SMM) is a weekly communication contributed by survivors. The primary focus of the SMM is to foster peer-based connections for support and encouragement. It is the goal of this communication to foster a safe, supportive place where we can openly share in a nonjudgmental and caring manner. Read and contribute as you are comfortable. Content submitted for the SMM is edited for space considerations and may be used in other TAPS publications. The loving family at TAPS is available to you 24 hours a day. Please call 202-588-TAPS (8277).