It’s the last day of school before summer, or it is about to be for many! Parents may groan a little, but teachers and MOST DEFINITELY kids everywhere are jumping for joy! No more homework, no more tests, no more getting up early!
The last day of school is the best day ever, when you are a child. Except, if you are military child. Because then, it sometimes just stinks.
My daughter had her final day of school the other day. She was a wreck. The night before, she expressed that she hated that the next day meant an end to the school year. I was confused for a moment… even I had forgotten. Then I got a message from my husband who picked up my daughter, and her best friend (both 12 years old) from school. It read simply, “These girls are a mess. I feel so bad.”
When you are a military kid going to school on base, and all of your friends are also military kids… you can bet that summertime also translates into PCS season. That means that even if YOU are not the one moving… you know that SOMEONE is moving. And because you are a military kid, you have mastered the art of making really powerful friendships fast. So the likelihood that you are going to be saying goodbye to someone you really, really like is pretty high.
In my daughter’s case, she was saying goodbye to her very best friend on the last day of school. These two kids are tight. I’m talking “save a full page in your yearbook for me” and “wearing matching jewelry” tight. And her best friend is the one moving away. Our entire family is really ready for a PCS move ourselves, but we have no word yet. My daughter told me the other day that she wanted to move…because she didn’t want to have to be here without her best friend.
My husband and I both know that there are so many positive things our kids have gained from being a part of a military family, but it doesn’t make it any easier to see your kid heartbroken. There was nothing I could say but, “Do you want me to leave you alone?” Yes, she did. “Okay, well I am here if you need to talk.” And I left her to sob into her pillow.
Good thing I have never really unpacked my guilt trip bags.
