The first Awareness cause near and dear to my heart this month is...
The Month of the Military Child
(During the Reagan administration April became the official month of the military child)
I started this blog several times this month and stopped... Any time I research or read articles like these it brings some emotions up. As a military wife this is a CHOICE I make. Sure, Joe and I were together BEFORE he enlisted in the Marine Corps but I had a choice... I chose this lifestyle and continue to choose it. As a child you do not choose your parents. There is no choice in this matter... and when your daddy or mommy leaves on deployment or for schooling and training that leaves a gaping hole in your heart. There are so many births without fathers there to cut the cord, first steps unseen, first words unheard, first days of school missed, holidays with a tinge of sorrow, birthdays, even deaths without a parent there by their side. They face frequent moves, instability, and so much more just being a military child. Since 2001 more than TWO MILLION children have faced the deployment of a military parent. Two million! Wow... Some of those two million children have parents that don't return from that deployment either. Military children are our unsung heroes in the War on Terror.
Personally, I have seen the effects of the military lifestyle in my own children. BayLeigh was born while Joe was deployed (the picture to the right is the first glimpse Joe had of her- and that was at least a week to two weeks AFTER she was born)... at 6 mo. old he returned and she had to figure out who he was. Likewise when Emery was 1 mo. old he deployed again, BayLeigh was a year and a half when he left. Upon returning, BayLeigh reverted from her potty training (she was potty trained and then the move and transition made her revert back..) Emery was 7 or 8 mo and had to figure out who he was. Ollie had her first birthday and first steps and words while Joe was on his third deployment. BayLeigh started and completed her first year of grade school (Kindergarten) and Emery had her training wheels removed and her preschool graduation. Charley was born while he was gone. (Her picture is below- Joe got to see that pretty quickly after she was born, internet communications were a lot better on his third deployment)
A year of night terrors and nightmares of Joe not coming home, getting shot, blown up, etc. plagued Emery. At least HALF of the nights of Joe's deployments she was up and in tears or waking up with a scream. Fears, separation anxiety, nightmares those are just a few of the effects of our lifestyle for our children. But there is also pride, admiration, and this bond that is amazing. My children had to grow up a little quicker than some. BayLeigh had to help out a LOT more than any 6 year old should have to. She was in with the school counselor once a week for her special time. Her time to vent, to share her fears and concerns, and to just have some male attention. She acted out and got angry to the point she needed a defusing method. Her emotions were a roller coaster...
Those are just things we have personally dealt with. Anyway, I could go on and on in this area of our life... but I just love them for their strength. So this is a shout out to all the military children past and present and future. There is some WONDERFUL information for caregivers, parents, kids, teens, and teachers at this link:
NCTSN
ALSO- there is an AMAZING organization called
Our Military Kids who helps fund activities for kids of deployed servicemembers. While Joe was gone the girls had their dance classes and piano lessons fully funded by Our Military Kids! They understand how important it is for a child to focus on something else, keep busy, and have an outlet for their emotions while their parent is deployed. If you want to support a military family this is an AMAZING place to start. Check it out!
Thanks for listening to my heart on this awareness.
