Please go to this link to donate to TAPS:  https://www.crowdrise.com/dashboard/lindaambard/tragedy-assistance-program-for-survivors-nyc-2017/edit

 

Dear Friends and Family, 

 

 

 

 ***Below will tell you why I fund raise for TAPS, but this year my voice is going to be heard with another.  When Phil died, I couldn't imagine a life without him.  I couldn't see a reason to live.  I thought my life was over and indeed, every dream I had ended that day more than six years ago.  I didn't think I could feel love again and I was too weary and too broken to even ponder it.  Then something special happened-something that a certain angel would be overjoyed with--I met Stan.  My equal but different chapter forced me to face my fears and to believe and trust in myself and another.  As I leapfrog into marriage to a man who honors my past and allows me to have a fire for our military families and survivors, I am working to run Africa, New York, and the London Marathons to celebrate this second chance.  Because we feel so very blessed, we are asking that in lieu of gifts, you consider donating to an organization that helps so many who struggle to find a reason to go on after military loss.  Below is Phil's story and the impact of military loss, but I ask you to join with Stan and I to be part of the lifeline to get other broken family members a safe place to lean into. 

 

 

 

Phil's 50th birthday would have been 4 April.  Many of you know that I take time every spring to honor and remember his sacrifice, the lives he touched, and the man he was by living life and by doing random acts of kindness.  I know exactly how short life can be and I want my life to count.  I do this with the whispered prayers of my feet as I run on and through my voice for my military brothers and sisters and their families.

 

 

 

 You see, military loss whether through killed in action like my Phil or suicide, is not the same as other traumatic deaths because survivors lose their place in their community, they are forced to move, and they are often far from their loved one when the death occurs.  Many family members are shunned in society due to public perception or political beliefs.  Children are impacted in an unthinkable manner.  They lose a parent and then are forced to move away from their peers and school.  The multiple layering losses have a lifetime impact.  Loss is isolating and hope seems so far away.

 

 

 

 TAPS is the one organization that provides a place for family members (to include the extended family members) to come together to grieve, honor, and grow.  TAPS provides resources (peer mentors, counseling, published, online) for survivors to include military installations.  These resources are free for the asking.  I donate my book proceeds every year by donating through my running page because Isee the difference this organization has made in me and in others like me.

 

 

 

We are fundraising for the New York Marathon and the Africa Marathon because we want to honor and remember Phil and other military members who gave everything there was to give.  Phil chose this country at 18.  He was not an American citizen by birth.  He came to the US at 12 speaking two words of English--sum-a-team-us for sometimes and ewsa for USA.  He loved the freedoms and opportunities given to him by his citizenship and he served the country he loved for 26 years before his assassination.  He taught me to love my country and my citizenship.  We do not take for granted any of it.  Those freedoms were paid for by men and women such as Phil. 

 

 

 

 

 

Stan and I chose to honor my chapter one and Phil with our wedding.  Our commitment to one another and our appreciation of the gift of loving has come from the man who loved both me and his chosen country until his last breath.  Not everyone will understand, but to find love after one's darkest hours is a humbling breathtaking gift from God.  We truly believe that and we look forward to writing our chapter together as we honor the chapter before.  

 

At this point in my journey and as we embark on the adventure ahead, we ask that you consider making a donation in lieu of gifts.  We want to give hope to those who have lost hope.  We want to help those who feel like they are broken and homeless due to military loss.  We want to honor the past as we spring into our future together.

 

We are participating in a special fundraiser in support of the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS). TAPS provides direct support to families who have been impacted by a death in the military regardless of geography or circumstance.

 

 The funds we raise will flow directly into TAPS programming which supports these families through an amazing network of resources, seminars and publications. TAPS provides these services at no charge to survivors from all branches of the service, including Reserves and National Guard. TAPS’ programs and services are available not only for immediate family, but also for extended family and friends. Please help me honor our fallen heroes by supporting me in this effort.  No donation is too big or too small. 

 

 

 

Please celebrate life with us!

 

 

 

Thank you!

 

 

 

Stan and Linda