Value not a dollar sign

Dear Petty Criminal,

When you stole my wallet out of my car last week, I'm not sure if you realize what you really took. Aside from the usual cash, credit cards, etc. that you stole from me, you gained some things that are far more valuable than money and I thought you should know about them before you discard them with the trash.

You now have in your possession a tiny, hastily carved, wooden fish that was given to me while my husband was evacuating Americans from Monrovia in April of 1996. It is far more valuable than my VISA card and is worth more than anything you could possibly buy with my Target card. Perhaps you could stop being a coward and rub a little bravery from the edges that have already been smoothed from the years spent in a soldier's pocket.

You are now the proud owner of a hematite cross that was given to me in Ghana by a little girl who was so thankful for my daughter's hand-me-down clothes that she gave me the only thing she had of any value to her. No matter how many 5's and 10's you pocket in your career as a petty thief, you wouldn't be able to purchase a jewel like that. Be thankful for what you do have.

You should know that you are now the proud owner of a tattered cloth heart that has been to Afghanistan and Iraq more times than I care to remember. That heart has more value attached to it than any piece of plastic or any amount of money you could steal. It represents something that you obviously know nothing about - honor and integrity.

Let's not forget that you also have my military ID card, which has been all over the world and is worth every drop of blood I have in my body. It means that I served my country proudly and it represents my willingness to sacrifice in order to protect and defend your rights as an American. Although it's already been reported stolen, it's worth more than you can ever imagine or ever dream of attaining. Perhaps when you look at it, you may understand that patriotism has no monetary equivalent and neither does self-respect.

God has a way of working wonders in my life and maybe in yours, too. So, I just thought you should know that the stain on the Bible page is from the tears that were shed by my soldier husband when his best friend Todd Chittenden drowned in Germany in 1994. John 3:16 taught him about value.

You took more from me than my credit cards and my two $5 bills, and I lost more than I can explain, but if you learn the true worth of what you have in your possession, maybe one day something will click in you and value won't mean a dollar sign.

April Brown

Spring Hill