After one family suffered a heartbreaking tragedy, strangers took time and effort to try to make their Christmas as happy as possible.
Last month, Utah mayor Brent Taylor was killed in action on his fourth tour of duty. Taylor was a married father of seven, and according to a Christmas Day Facebook status by his widow Jennie, strangers rallied behind her family for the holidays by donating “a mountain of presents” for the children.
Matt Whitlock, Deputy Chief of Staff and Communications Director for Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT), helped to share Jennie’s Facebook status by tweeting a link to it:
https://twitter.com/mattdizwhitlock/status/1078117394336276480
Jennie’s full post is below:
Seven weeks ago today—just minutes before we were escorted to the Dover Air Base Flight Line to receive Brent back onto American soil—I took this picture.
It reads, “On Behalf of a Grateful Nation”.
This morning my children woke up to a mountain of presents under the tree—and not one of those presents was purchased or even wrapped by me.
I do not who all was involved in making certain our kids experienced first hand the gratitude of their grateful nation, but I do know that this collective gratitude has served to soften our grief and to strengthen our resolve.
To the countless others who have also lost a loved one in the line of duty (whatever that duty may have been): Please know that you have our utmost respect and our most profound gratitude. It is an unspeakably humbling honor to now stand among your ranks.
To all those who have expressed their love, support, sympathy and gratitude for our family as we mourn Brent’s death: Please know that we view you as nothing less than divinely appointed angels, sent to minister in our time of need.
On behalf of our Grateful Family, I thank you all.
Merry Christmas and may God ever continue to bless America.
The views expressed here are those of the author and do not represent those of any other individual or entity. Follow Sarah on Twitter: @sarahmquinlan.
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