Richard and I flew home last Sunday after a weekend getaway.

I was struck by how many soldiers I saw coming and going.  Most sobering, however, was the scene we watched at the Louisville airport on Sunday morning.

Ahead of us in the security line was a man somewhere in his mid-twenties.  He was young and handsome and was moving through the security line as casually as if he were going to visit an old college roommate.

It was his family members, standing off to the side and crying, who were the tell-tale signs that his trip would be no vacation.  The mother was crying uncontrollably while the father was doing double duty, consoling his wife and wiping his own tears.  His older brother gladly hid behind the camera of his iphone and videotaped the sad and prolonged good-byes.  The three-year old nephew of this soldier was, of course, caught up in the excitement of planes coming and going, but, the toddler's young mother wore the face of someone who clearly understood the tragedy of someday having to stand in those same shoes.

This post can't and won't be a diatribe about this war and the immeasurable impact it is having on soldiers, their families, towns, children, the economy, and every other aspect of society.  It can't and it won't.

Instead it is a tribute to a woman who recognized an unmet need and who jumped in to fill it.  Take a look:

"Linda co-created Guardian Angels For Soldier's Pets. It is an all volunteer nonprofit Federal Tax Exempt public charity supporting our military service members, veterans, and their beloved pets through their programs aimed at reuniting pet(s) and owner(s) following deployment or an emergency hardship. They find loving adoptive homes for pets whose owners cannot take care of them, because of their military duty!"

When it comes to citizens pitching in and doing their part to support the soldiers and their families, there is no room for politics.  That can, and most assuredly will, come later.

Today we celebrate a woman who shines because she saw an unmet need and worked to address it.  Not only did this woman coordinate a service providing care for soldier's pets, but perhaps most importantly, her organization works to reunite pets with soldiers once they return from military duty - the benefits of which are probably immeasurable for soldiers who are suffering from post traumatic stress.

Flood Linda's mailbox with anonymous letters of gratitude.  Let her know that her care and compassion makes this world a better place.  Her task is daunting, maybe even overwhelming, but her service is an incredible gesture of generosity.  Thank her for doing what so many others did not think to do.

Flooding her box is easy..

Write Linda a short note saying, "Thank you."  Seal it in a yellow envelope (or a white envelope decorated with yellow stickers or markers).  Write the words, "Yellow Envelope Project" in the top left hand corner and mail it to the address listed below.  Commit to mailing it before next Saturday when we meet right here, all over again, to recognize another worthy recipient.

Think it should be more complicated than 10 minutes and $0.44 cents?

Then tell a friend.

And another friend.

And how about one more for good measure?

If you've ever gotten a thank you note in the mail and smiled, then you know it's impossible for Linda to receive too much mail.  Let's get started:

Shining off until tomorrow...