“Easter Express” By Arlene O’Neil.    Bunnies, chicks, lambs, and peeps are hopping their way to Iraq.     Thanks to generous online friends, soldiers stationed in Iraq will have the opportunity to make Easter a little more enjoyable for their own children back home.     At Christmas, donations provided soldiers with over 600 individually wrapped presents to enjoy. A Valentine’s Day collection allowed 285 soldiers to send a gift home to their loved ones.

Easter seemed the perfect time to remember the children of those who serve and protect. Little girls and boys will receive a special Easter present from their Mommy or Daddy, who proudly wear the uniform of a soldier.   Audrey from California stood in line to pay for a shopping cart filled with stuffed bunnies and animal-shaped purses, her contribution to help surprise the children of soldiers on Easter Sunday. However, she received a surprise of her own. A fellow shopper stopped to admire Audrey’s choice of items, and after a short conversation about the destination of these adorable gifts, Audry was handed $20.00 by a woman identified only as Pat.   A total stranger in California, hears of a drive to collect Easter presents for a friend in Connecticut, to send to her son’s unit in Iraq, and reaches into her purse, pulling out an offer of help.   With all the bad news reported everyday, isn’t it refreshing to hear something good for a change?                                      ******* Arlene R. O'Neil is the parent of a US Soldier, and Author of "Broken Spokes," a soon to be released novel.  In addition to being an author, Arlene is an editor, a member of several blind dog lists, and is involved in animal rescue and transport.  Currently, she resides in Connecticut.