Giving helps family cope

"Chief Wiggles" and his wife, though separated by thousands of miles, have found comfort in the same impulse — to help others.

"Chief Wiggles" is the nom de guerre of a Utah National Guard soldier stationed in Iraq. Because of security concerns, his name is not used here.

Thousands of people worldwide know of his activities and thoughts through his Internet journal postings. In recent months he has spearheaded a project to provide gifts for Iraqi children, "Operationgive.org."

On Sept. 18, Chief Wiggles wrote a journal entry about helping a little Iraqi girl in a tattered dress who was sobbing outside the Baghdad compound where he works. He was gratified by her reaction when he gave her small gifts.

That generous impulse was picked up throughout the world.

"Operationgive.org" was launched, with boxes of gifts for the children of that war-torn country pouring in to a warehouse in Columbia, Md., for shipment to Iraq. The chief and his friends have begun distributing gifts to children in orphanages.

Despite all the activity on behalf of Iraqis, the chief can't help worrying about the situation at home.

I am worried about my family today and every day. Things are not well at home with my loved ones, everyone with his own set of obstacles and hurdles to cross . . . .

It has been a disturbing week filled with an ongoing string of events that seems to be affecting everyone's lives. I have received e-mails from family members, from church leaders and from family counselors, all with good intentions to help in my absence, to do whatever is needed to solve some of the problems.

But it is so difficult. This is a huge burden my family has to bear while I am serving over here. — from the Web journal of "Chief Wiggles."

"Mrs. Wiggles" began to cry when she talked about her efforts to aid Operationgive.org.

Seated on a sofa in their large home in the Salt Lake area, she was forced to stop in the middle of the interview while her tears flowed. But she smiled, "I am growing spiritually."

She had just gone to a local Wal-Mart to buy items that would help the children of Iraq, she said. "But I have a financial problem," she added.

"When you have the time and money, you can do it" without stress, added Mrs. Wiggles. But now that she has money problems of her own, she still chooses to help.

"This has been very hard, but actually it was such a growing experience," she said.

She talked about the good that Operationgive.org is doing and how the project is catching on worldwide. According to the project's Internet site, Federal Express will ship some items free.