A Brother's Words; A Sister's Thoughts by Cindy Campbell

I hope you have enjoyed getting to know my brother, a little bit, through his letters that I have shared up to this point. The letter today is Chris' last one to me before he graduated from Basic Training. Although he continued to send postcards and cards, most of our correspondence transitioned to email as a result of the introduction of computers and technology. I look forward to your joining me on this continued journey back in time.                           18 Jan 97 Just wrote yesterday, but had a little time on my hands. Also, I found this Brochure in our Division. If Mom & Dad haven't sent you these papers, I asked: here is an outline of Hotels & Prices that surround Great Lakes. The schedule will be that on Thurs, 30th of Jan we have a Mom & Pop night where we can have visitors for a few hours. Then the next morning you will come back & we will Pass-in-Review around 9:00 am, I think! Mom & Dad ...

Friendships come easily to children. On several occasions I have heard one child ask another, "you wanna be my friend?". It's a sweet moment for those of us who have the privilege to witness the innocence that prompts such a heartfelt question that is heard often throughout playgrounds and backyards. As we get older, it seems many reach their friendship quota. Relationships require effort to maintain connections, and understandably, as time progresses and responsibilities increase, our availability to engage with others becomes limited. There are certain people you meet though, that even if months and in some instances years pass, when you connect, it's like time stood still. You are able to "pick up right where you left off". My brother had many amazing people in his life like this. Joe, Jamie, George, Laura, Darren, John John, Randy, Dawn, and Toby are just a few really special friends who meant the world to Chris! I am sure the adventures and stories they...

Chris called our mom "Ma" - not sure why or when that became his special way of acknowledging her. To me, it's sweet, and I can still hear him saying it. He was very protective of our mom and so much of his attention to "little things" was a gift from her: singing, whistling, gardening, planting flowers, cooking and baking. It's a southern saying, I believe, and one we heard often, "you can always use a little something sweet"! Having dessert, especially after supper (aka dinner/evening meal), was a part of our lives. It was never anything fancy and might be rice pudding or a homemade cherry cream cheese pie. Treats that came by delivery of an ice cream truck were next level! If they came through your neighborhood growing up, you know that this was an extra special vehicle. Hearing the happy music long before this four wheeled delight carrying delicious desserts made its way down our street was the epitome of childhood joy.  Sundays were sacred day...