And if I am feeling guilty, I can only imagine how my husband, the service member feels. He knows that we all support him, but I know that he must feel terrible when he sees his daughter cry. Every time we have to pack up, again, and start over, I know he feels guilty. Every time we enroll our daughter in a new school, I know he feels guilty. Every time he has to say goodbye to our children…well, I know that just about kills him.
BUT…
Military life has also contributed to the wonderful, smart, compassionate, simply amazing person our daughter is growing up to be. She has been the new kid a lot… so she friends the new kid. She has experienced mood swings due to the stress of a move or deployment…so she is more tolerant of kids who may behave strangely at times. She has been exposed to many kinds of people…so she is accepting of folks who might be different than the norm. She has seen what service and sacrifice means… she is incredibly kind and giving herself.
I am wishing her best friend (and family) safe travels on the last day of school for the next part of their military journey. Thank you for being such a good friend to my daughter.
As for my child, we will continue to give her the space she needs, offer the support she may not realize she wants, and keep encouraging her to be a great friend to the next kid she sits next to on the bus…whether she is the one wearing the “new kid” hat, or if that hat is on the head of her new buddy.
