With today being Father's Day, I couldn't help but think of this picture. It was taken right before my husband left for a tour to Pakistan to aide in the recovery from their earthquakes. This was the first picture I had taken of him and the kids as goodbye drew near, that I could see in the kids' eyes that they knew what "goodbye" meant. This photo to me represents the moment my kids realized they were Army kids.

This photo made me doubt my own commitment as an Army spouse. I saw such love and sadness blended in my children's eyes that I wondered if this lifestyle was in fact right for us. It is one thing to feel the pain of "goodbye" yourself. It is another to watch it in a child's eyes.

Fast forward to 2012, and 2 Iraq deployments later, and I can tell you that we are a devoted Army family. My kids amazed me from the day of this picture forward. They began stepping up to the absence of their dad, and helping around the house.

Sure they had nights that they cried, but they had days where they laughed too. The Army family life has made them stronger, and they understand the value of the people they love. They understand that everyone says goodbye at some point and time, and they have learned to appreciate the time they share with those people.


As hard as goodbyes are, and as challenging as the Army life can be; I can't think of a better lesson in life for my children to learn.

Army family strong, always.