As April comes to an end I’d be remised not to talk about it being the Month of the Military Child: a time to recognize and honor the strength, resilience and sacrifices of the children of our armed forces. As someone who started and raised a family for six years while my husband served in the Army, I know firsthand the unique challenges that come with this life. I’ve seen how deeply our children feel the weight of service, even when they don’t wear the uniform themselves.
Being part of a military family means that your plans are always penciled in and can change in an instant. It means experiencing life changing moments while your spouse is thousands of miles away, missing birthdays, holidays and entire seasons of growth. It means not having the village of family surrounding you and your children. It means learning to say goodbye over and over again, and somehow still smiling through it.
Our children grow up learning about service before most kids even learn how to tie their shoes. They know the sound of a duffle bag being zipped shut in the early hours of the morning. They recognize the tearful silence that comes with deployment, and the explosive joy that floods a homecoming. They are the quiet heroes, packing up their lives every few years, starting over in new schools, making and losing friends and learning how to adapt to change with incredible grace. As a spouse, I knew what I was signing up for when I married my husband, but our children didn’t ask for this life, they were just born into it and they took it all in stride.
I will never forget the long nights where my kids cried for their daddy, the endless days full of questions concerning his whereabouts, when they could talk to him and how many days till he’d be home. As a mama, there was many days I questioned what kind of life this was for our kids, because unfortunately, but all to often, I didn’t have a good answer to those questions. We usually didn’t get a detailed itinerary of his whereabouts and a call schedule, which is probably the case for most military families. So, I was usually left trying to pull together a half decent explanation that was satisfying enough for their wondering minds. Thankfully like most military children, they were flexible and patient with me while I figured it all out, too.
Military kids don't choose this life, but they live it with remarkable bravery. They develop strength in the face of uncertainty and compassion in the face of constant change. They learn patience, flexibility and the value of every moment spent together. These children endure more in their first few years than many adults do in a lifetime and still, they find ways to thrive and share their love even in the hardest of situations.
It’s easy to forget just how much our kids carry when the spotlight is often on the service member, rightfully so. But, during this month and every month, we owe it to them to see their sacrifice, to celebrate their strength and to thank them for their service in their own right.
To every military child: You are not just brave. You are extraordinary, and this month, we honor you.