Feel good...oh yeah. (warning, a little long)
On the weekend before Thanksgiving, my Scouts and adult leaders helped pack 600 care packages for soldiers stationed overseas during the holidays this year. We have been doing this for the past 3 years about every 3 months, in conjunction with Cape Cod Cares For The Troops. The packages are just now starting to arrive in Iraq and Afghanistan. We know because we've started to get letters and emails back from this batch of packages. Here are some examples of notes that we've received over the past year, I think this makes the boys, and the adults feel pretty good:

"I would like to thank you on behalf of the 332 Expeditionary Fuels Management Flight. We received your package today, and we are very grateful for your support and kindness. It’s always good to get a little piece of home while over here. You folks are the ones making the real difference back home, helping out in the community and supporting us over here. I wish all of you the best of luck and thank you again."
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"I was on a tour in Kuwait last year that went from September through January 08. Needless to say, I missed all the holidays here at home. But where I was stationed, we received a lot of packages from all over the country. But one really hit home when the package(s) from your troop arrived.
So I took it upon myself to have a US flag flown over Iraq and additionally have a certificate that I wanted to present your troop to thank all of them for their wonderful support of our troops overseas.
Unfortunately I will not be here, so I am asking that TSgt (XXXXXXXXXX) present it on my behalf. BTW he is also an Eagle Scout and was also deployed the same time I was. He was in Iraq
I hope that you will accept this small token of my (our) appreciation for your support."
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"I am extending a heartfelt thank you to you and your troops for bringing us the Christmas spirit so many miles away from home. My Soldiers and I appreciate what you and Troop 53 have done to show your appreciation to us for doing what we do to keep America safe.
You all can go to sleep and be assured that we are watching over your safety. We are Detachment 1, A CO 22D Chemical Battalion based at Edgewood Arsenal, Maryland and pride ourselves on the fact that there are still people back home who will always care. The Soldiers of the detachment, and I, are grateful for what you sent us. Presently we have as much as we need and are asking for nothing more than to keep us in your prayers until we return home in the spring of next year. Again we thank you and wish you and your families a Happy Holiday. There is no need to worry because we are standing guard."
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"Thank you so much. My name is XXXXXXXXX. I am a Lance Corporal in the United States Marine Corps. I'm from Hyannis, and I've been in the Marine Corps since February 2006. I left out of San Diego on a Navy ship and sailed around for two months before getting to Iraq. I can't say exactly where, but I am 'over there.' I just figured I would give you a little information on myself to open this letter. I got a package today from all of you. I want to say it was the best suprise I could have asked for. I haven't gotten any mail in a while (not because nobody loves me or anything, i just tell mom and dad not to send any because otherwise they would send a million), and this package truly brightened up my day. I work from midnight to noon 7 days a week, and I came in from a hard 12 hours work to see this package waiting for me. My face lit up as I picked through all of the goodies. A lot of my friends and fellow Marines around me got to share in the feast you gave me. We will snack happy for days! The hygiene gear and snacks were great, but the best part were the letters. I got little notes from many people I didn't know existed, and it really means so much! All we see on the news is how much everyone hates the war. We usually think they means they are against us, also, but you have proven us wrong. It is because of great American citizens like you that we win this war. Sure I am here doing the work, but if I didn't have the reassurance of the cause from people like you it would mean nothing. Our hearts wouldn't be in it, and the outcome would not be the same. So truly, I thank all of you for you love, support, and prayers. Keep doing what you are doing, and we promise to keep you safe.
Semper Fidelis
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When we get letters like these, it reminds me how much better it feels to give than receive. This is a time of the year to work at that. We watched a classic on TV the other night... and I still love the part when Linus goes up to Charlie Brown after reciting a passage from Luke and says: "That's what Christmas is about Charlie Brown"