Having a birthday on 9.11..

I have had a hard time dealing with the fact that my birthday is on 9.11, for the past 10 years.  I never feel like it is a time to celebrate.  I am always afraid to be caught out in a restaurant wearing a silly sombrero, being sung too, laughing and drinking a large, iced margarita...while the rest of the world mourns a terrible tragedy.  It just doesn't feel right.  So I will admit, in an INCREDIBLY selfish way, I really don't look forward to my birthday anymore.  The only perk to it is...everyone remembers my birth date now.

So this year, I have decided to make my birthday into something memorable, something in honor of those who have served our country through military service during the past 10 year's after this tragedy.  Many of you know I'm a CrossFit junkie...and CrossFit is always advocating for the work of the Wounded Warrior Project.

VISION:  "To foster the most successful, well-adjusted generation of wounded warriors in this nation's history."

PURPOSE: To raise awareness and enlist the public's aid for the needs of injured service members. To help injured service members aid and assist each other.  To provide unique, direct programs and services to meet the needs of injured service members.

WHO WE SERVE:
Wounded Warrior Project™ (WWP) exists to honor and empower wounded warriors who incurred service-connected injures on or after September 11, 2001. On that date, America watched in horror as approximately 3,000 people died including hundreds of firefighters and rescue workers.

The tragic events of Sept. 11 are often the reason warriors say they felt a sense of duty to volunteer for the military. These individuals chose to defend our country, and that is why we honor them.

Sept. 11 also served as a catalyst for conflicts Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF). Operation Iraqi Freedom refers to military operations in Iraq that began March 19, 2003 and officially ended August 31, 2010. Operation Enduring Freedom refers to combat operations in Afghanistan and other regions in support of the Global War on Terror.

With advancements in battlefield medicine and body armor, an unprecedented percentage of service members are surviving severe wounds or injuries. For every U.S. soldier killed in World Wars I and II, there were 1.7 soldiers wounded. In Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom, for every U.S. soldier killed, seven are wounded. Combined, there have been almost 42,000 injured in the two conflicts – nearly 32,000 injured in Operation Iraqi Freedom and nearly 10,000 in Operation Enduring Freedom.

With the mission to honor and empower wounded warriors, WWP is the hand extended to encourage warriors as they adjust to their new normal and achieve new triumphs. Offering a variety of programs and services, WWP is equipped to serve warriors with every type of injury – from the physical to the invisible wounds of war.

So after reading all of that.

In honor of the Wounded Warriors, in honor of those who died on 9.11, and to make this birthday memorable...

FOR EVERY DOLLAR DONATED THIS WEEKEND...FROM TOMORROW (9/9) THROUGH MONDAY (9/12)--I will donate 50% of the donations to the Wounded Warrior Project and 50% will go toward our adoption of Blake.

Thank you to the men and women who serve.  We honor you and pray for you. And we pledge to remember you.
Anna