On June 25 in Memphis, our Cheeriodicals team had the privilege and honor to host a team building activity for a group of the most unforgettable ladies in our ten-year history. We led a team of approximately 100 participants from American Gold Star Mothers, Inc. (AGSM), at their national convention, to pack Cheeriodicals for distribution to nearly 300 Veteran patients at Memphis VA Medical Center.

I have written quite a few blogs over the years focusing on the impact of the team, impact of the gift, impact of the smile received by the hospital patient, impact on hospital staff, and impact in numerous other ways. And yes, we expect our events to have an impact on everyone involved, never a surprise when we see it during and after our events.

Before I go further, for those of you reading this blog who are not aware of AGSM, by definition:  AGSM is a private nonprofit organization of American mothers who lost sons or daughters in service of the United States Armed Forces. Their mission:  Finding strength in the fellowship of other Gold Star Mothers who strive to keep the memory of our sons and daughters alive by working to help veterans, those currently serving in the military, their families, and our communities.

In addition to the usual impact witnessed at this team building event, what struck me from their event more than anything else is how this group of women were so positive in attitude and supportive of each other. Each of these ladies could understandably choose to see the loss of their child as an insurmountable life event, something just too difficult to overcome, yet each and every one of these incredible mothers chose to stand strong through their common bond. They decided to comfort each other through their grief and provide support for each other, become sisters where their joint strength would supersede any individual strength they could muster. We witnessed so many teams of mothers coming together, sharing hugs, sharing smiles, taking selfies of their joint handiwork.

As we walked the room during their team building and performed our usual checks on their work, provided advice to some of the teams, etc., we realized these mothers were putting so much effort into the puzzle message they were creating for the Veterans. We noticed that these messages were particularly sincere and personal, written in a way that only these mothers could provide, and exactly what a Veteran would appreciate. Here are just a few of the mothers and the puzzle messages they created.

When the mothers had completed the 200 Cheeriodicals and their team building project was over, they all proudly held up their Cheeriodicals and the smiles on their faces were medicine for the soul. These smiles are for the children they have lost, for the relationships they have built through hardship, and for the soldiers, they want to thank that they’ll never get to meet. This photo says it all – When team building “that matters” mattered the most!