A blog for the boys

One of the toughest things about any military deployment is the effect on the family. While one of the adults (like E & e’s Dad for example) is gallivanting around the world, the rest of the family is living their lives at home as best they can. It’s hard on the spouse (that would be Shawna in this case) who has to run the household, pay the bills, be the disciplinarian, and all the other things that are nominally shared by the couple….

But it’s hardest on the kids, in this case Ethan and Emmitt. Trying to understand why Dad isn’t home at night, missing Cub Scout meetings and holidays, playing games, watching TV, fixing the bikes and occasionally squawking at them. What did they do to cause this?

The answer of course is nothing. They are the best kids a parent could ever have and have done nothing to cause Dad to be gone for a while. It’s hard to understand when you are young (or grown for that matter), but sometimes Dad has to go away for a while. It’s for a good reason, we just hope it’s good enough to justify being gone. And it’s OK to be sad and maybe a little mad at Dad for missing stuff. But know he loves them and will call and write and chat when he can.

The fun stuff that I experience would be that much better if they were here of course. I think they would have liked the whale, and I know they would have liked the beach…especially the warm water for someone with cold feet ;). Probably try to bury Dad in the sand, I just hope they would dig me out. Ethan would like to try and surf on the board I think, and Emmitt would have liked the fish hopping in and out of the water at night.

I do plan to make it up to them in June on a vacation to Italy, but that can seem a long time away when you are 9 or 4 years old. Hang in there fellas, it will be here before you know it!!

- Dad