Why write to the troops?

While I never got involved with writing letters to the troops EXPECTING to get a response.......it can be discouraging to write letter after letter and never receive ANY responses at all. You wonder, am I really making a difference at all for someone by writing? Does this really mean anything to someone? But, just when you think that you're not making any difference at all, you get a reply letter in the mail like this:

"Thank you for taking the time to send me a card and for the prayers. I just want to tell you that I will save your card and the others that I have received and put them up on a frame that I will hold on to for a long time. They mean a lot to us."

Or like this:

"I just think that when someone takes the time to write a letter to a perfect stranger, just in hopes that it might bring that person a smile...it's only right to write back and say thank you for putting a smile on my face."

And then you feel renewed,and encouraged to keep writing, even if it's a long time before you receive another response. Because you realize you ARE making a difference for someone. Remember, though, replies are just icing on the cake. The real satisfaction comes from doing something nice for someone you never met, and probably never WILL meet....just to let them know that someone cares.