m.o.M - mother of Michael

Mother's Day Project Update

Last November, I participated in The Mother's Day Project.

This project, started by Anne Landre, is a way to recognize and remember those women who have given their lives in the war in Iraq. People all over the world were sent pieces of fabric on which was printed the name of one of these women. Mine was Jessica M. Housby. I was to embroider this name and return the fabric to Anne, who in turn, took my embroidery and that of everyone else and turned it into a tote bag.

As I was catching up on some of my favorite blogs today, I came across the CraftSanity blog which corresponds to the podcast on which I first heard of The Mother's Day Project. Imagine my surprise when I saw this picture of some of Anne's progress with the tote! There, at the top, was my little contribution to this project.

It's been almost five months since I first saw Jessica's name. Not a day goes by that I don't think of her. Every time this stupid war is mentioned, I think of her family.

As my little contribution is connected to the whole of this bag, we are all connected to this war. We may not personally know anyone there, but those who are there are mothers and daughters, sons and fathers just like us and that is our connection.

Anne is right. War IS personal.

Jessica M. Housby

Jessica was a bright, energetic young woman. She worked at a local pediatrician's office and as a mother of two, she appears to me to be the kind of individual who would take time to talk to the kids, make them laugh and hand out stickers.

Jessica grew up in Illinois with her brother, mother and step-father. She loved nature, was in ROTC in high school and she joined the National Guard in 1999, while still in high school. Jessica played softball, she went to the gym, she was at the beginning of her exciting life.

Jessica was killed on February 9, 2005 while serving in Iraq with her unit, the 1644 Transportation Company, out of Rock Falls, Ill. She was 23 years old.

Iraq is "over there" and I do not know anyone who is currently serving "over there", but as I stitched Jessica's name for The Mother's Day Project, I thought about this war and not only our innocent young who are dying but the young of all countries involved. Mothers now without daughters, daughters now without mothers.

Bring our families home. They must be brought home now.