Chosen

My name is Sarah Jones.  I play volleyball and I love strawberries.  I got mostly B's in high school, except history and American Literature, where I got A+s.  I do well at something if I'm actually interested in it.  I wanted to learn more about the military and about World War II.  I have a dog named Champ who I train for agility competitions.  He's pretty good, but he isn't quite living up to his name yet.  And now, without me around to train him, I fear he never will.

They chose me, and I should be honored, but I know I'm never coming back home.  I just want to be remembered by those I love and for those who don't even know me now to realize that I existed and that I did this to keep them safe.  They keep telling me I'll be fine, that I have the training and skills necessary to come out alive.  I don't believe that, and I suspect that deep down, they don't either, but I'm doing this anyway because no one has the skills and training necessary to come out of this alive.

I don't want accolades.  It won't do me any good once I'm gone anyway.  I just want people to know that someone is looking out for them.  Today it's me.  Tomorrow it will be someone else.  Maybe it will even be one of them someday.  You can enjoy life, love life, but don't cling to it too tightly.  Be willing to give it up for the sake of others.

I'm not a hero.  I'm just an ordinary girl.  You might be ordinary, too, but you can still save the world, just like I'm about to do.

My family knows I love them, but tell them anyway.  I know they'll cry, so don't tell them not to.  Just tell me I did it for them and for me and for everyone, and I'll see them again.  I know that I will.