As
I have written before, I have a friend named Gary who was a Marine, and
whose only daughter desired to follow in her father's footsteps, and
joined the Marine Corp. During her time of service, she met with a
terrible and tragic event, she was beaten and raped. That wasn't the
destroying blow, the destroying blow came when neither her command,
NCIS, the Navy, or the DoD responded to the wrongs done her, and reacted
so as to arrest, convict, and punish those responsible, and those who
covered up the crimes. She was thrown out of the Marines, and told
basically to go home and shut up. Just a few weeks later she took her
own life.
Her father grieves everyday over this loss, and the injustices done to his only daughter; the upcoming holiday season is going to be very difficult for he and his wife. He posted on facebook the wretchedness of his heart, and how he hears his beloved daughter screaming from her grave for justice. Since I first heard the story of her short life, and saw pictures of her, I have heard Carri's voice too... I have written poetry in her honor, blog posts telling her story and honoring her, but by far the action that I have been called to in her name that was the loudest constraints of her voice to me, was only sweet whispers calling me to love, to give, and to listen and understand. I wrote the following to Gary, and I have a picture for him to cherish. The following is the post I wrote to Gary after reading his post of anguish and pain.
"You know, her voice is being heard Gary. I heard it so plainly. There is a woman living in my home now, along with her 17 year old autistic daughter. She is a veteran, and a victim of MST who has struggled for years, and found herself homeless in Houston. Because of the story of your daughter, when I came to know of this situation, God used the voice of your daughter to speak to my heart of my own responsibility toward this woman and her child. That is the story and the true meaning of Christmas. We celebrate a woman bringing a child into the world. A child who was to pour Himself out a living sacrifice to the whole world,and whose life here on earth was the very message of God's great love to each of us. There was no room for a woman and her child at the Inn so many centuries ago, but because of the story of your daughter, there was room at our house for this woman and her child. Her daughter sat with us in church today, and enjoyed so much the story of Christmas, the music, and the love expressed to her, expressed to her because of the what the life of your daughter has spoken to my heart. Carrie doesn't scream loudly for justice to me, she whispers quietly for love and understanding... I hear her all the time."
Gary, here is the picture I have for you. This is Alisha, sitting by our Christmas tree, she is very excited for Christmas to come, she loves Christmas. If it were not for Carrie's whispers in my ear, she would be homeless this Christmas, living in a shelter in downtown Houston. I am wrapping presents for her, and putting them under the tree, but one I haven't gotten yet. In one of the many places she has lived over the past several years, she lost a stuffed bear from the "Build a Bear" toy store. It was a kitten dressed in pink, and when Pickle, as she is affectionately called by her mom, whose name is also Alisha, saw the Build a Bears I was wrapping for my grand-children, she kept picking them up. She kept asking me who they were for, and telling me repeatedly she had a Build a Bear kitten, but she lost it, and she had loved it so much. She told me she still, "misses that bear so much".
Alisha still believes in Santa Claus, her development is delayed in some ways, and she is such an innocent and guileless person. She asked me if Santa knew where our house was as she watched the cartoon special the other night of Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer. I told certainly he did, she then asked if we would leave the door unlocked for him, I told her, "oh no, he will just have to come down the chimney." She hadn't noticed our fireplace yet, as she has only lived here a short while... her face lit up, her eyes sparkled, and she said "that is wonderful, now I know Santa can get that little bear here I want!"
I have a question for you Gary and Jiliene. What is Carri whispering to you about that bear and Alisha... I hear you can not only buy pink clothes for a kitten Build a Bear, but you can also buy a Marine uniform for one... I have told her if Santa brings her a Build a Bear I am certain she should name it Carri, Alisha loved that name... All you need to do is tell Santa that bear should go to Alisha, in care of Debra LeCompte, 3296 South FM331 Rd, Sealy, Texas, 77474. Merry Christmas Carri, you too Gary and Jilene.
Her father grieves everyday over this loss, and the injustices done to his only daughter; the upcoming holiday season is going to be very difficult for he and his wife. He posted on facebook the wretchedness of his heart, and how he hears his beloved daughter screaming from her grave for justice. Since I first heard the story of her short life, and saw pictures of her, I have heard Carri's voice too... I have written poetry in her honor, blog posts telling her story and honoring her, but by far the action that I have been called to in her name that was the loudest constraints of her voice to me, was only sweet whispers calling me to love, to give, and to listen and understand. I wrote the following to Gary, and I have a picture for him to cherish. The following is the post I wrote to Gary after reading his post of anguish and pain.
"You know, her voice is being heard Gary. I heard it so plainly. There is a woman living in my home now, along with her 17 year old autistic daughter. She is a veteran, and a victim of MST who has struggled for years, and found herself homeless in Houston. Because of the story of your daughter, when I came to know of this situation, God used the voice of your daughter to speak to my heart of my own responsibility toward this woman and her child. That is the story and the true meaning of Christmas. We celebrate a woman bringing a child into the world. A child who was to pour Himself out a living sacrifice to the whole world,and whose life here on earth was the very message of God's great love to each of us. There was no room for a woman and her child at the Inn so many centuries ago, but because of the story of your daughter, there was room at our house for this woman and her child. Her daughter sat with us in church today, and enjoyed so much the story of Christmas, the music, and the love expressed to her, expressed to her because of the what the life of your daughter has spoken to my heart. Carrie doesn't scream loudly for justice to me, she whispers quietly for love and understanding... I hear her all the time."
Gary, here is the picture I have for you. This is Alisha, sitting by our Christmas tree, she is very excited for Christmas to come, she loves Christmas. If it were not for Carrie's whispers in my ear, she would be homeless this Christmas, living in a shelter in downtown Houston. I am wrapping presents for her, and putting them under the tree, but one I haven't gotten yet. In one of the many places she has lived over the past several years, she lost a stuffed bear from the "Build a Bear" toy store. It was a kitten dressed in pink, and when Pickle, as she is affectionately called by her mom, whose name is also Alisha, saw the Build a Bears I was wrapping for my grand-children, she kept picking them up. She kept asking me who they were for, and telling me repeatedly she had a Build a Bear kitten, but she lost it, and she had loved it so much. She told me she still, "misses that bear so much".
Alisha still believes in Santa Claus, her development is delayed in some ways, and she is such an innocent and guileless person. She asked me if Santa knew where our house was as she watched the cartoon special the other night of Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer. I told certainly he did, she then asked if we would leave the door unlocked for him, I told her, "oh no, he will just have to come down the chimney." She hadn't noticed our fireplace yet, as she has only lived here a short while... her face lit up, her eyes sparkled, and she said "that is wonderful, now I know Santa can get that little bear here I want!"
I have a question for you Gary and Jiliene. What is Carri whispering to you about that bear and Alisha... I hear you can not only buy pink clothes for a kitten Build a Bear, but you can also buy a Marine uniform for one... I have told her if Santa brings her a Build a Bear I am certain she should name it Carri, Alisha loved that name... All you need to do is tell Santa that bear should go to Alisha, in care of Debra LeCompte, 3296 South FM331 Rd, Sealy, Texas, 77474. Merry Christmas Carri, you too Gary and Jilene.
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