The Faces of Deployment...

It's Christmas.

I normally write a post about the meaning of Christmas, or my hopes for the coming year. Something personal, something important to me.

Tonight, it's different.

Tonight isn't about me.

Tonight, I want to introduce you to some people I've gotten to know, at least on line.

This is Gunner.  He is, at this moment, far away from where he wants to be.  He's in Afghanistan, on his fifth deployment in recent times. 

He's there to fight for this country, for our freedom, our security, our lives.

He's far from home, far from those he loves and those who love him.

That's his wife, Korin, with him.  She's the one I've gotten to know.  She's the one I've come to admire.  And she's the one I owe a great deal to.

You see, deployment was a concept once upon a time. 

I understood what it meant.  I understood the fact that our military people, men and women, leave home to serve.  I understood it meant they were in harm's way.  Truly, it's not a difficult thing to understand.

But...

Now I understand something I didn't before, not like I do now.

You see, there are other faces invovled in this deployment.  Faces that have become as precious to me in their own way as my own nieces. 

These faces are the faces of Gunner and Korin's children; Em, Abs, and Juinor.

There's Em, on the verge of becoming a young woman... without her father's support and guidance.

There's Abs, an absolutely brilliant girl facing some truly unique problems of her own, while missing her dad more than she can say...

There's Juinor... the little boy who keeps hoping to find a magical rock that will bring his daddy home to him.

And there's Korin, left to be both mother and father to three children who are serving their father's deployment every bit as much as he is. 

They're not in harm's way... but they are sacrificing every bit as much.  I've never understood that in the way I do now.

So, here's my wish for this Christmas:

Take a moment to think of those serving this country.  Think about their sacrifices and then think about how much their families are also sacrificing.  It is the day-to-day things, the normal events of a lifetime that they cannot share with their dad.  It is school and homework and walking the dog and a thousand other things we take for granted.  Things they will never get back.

We are truly blessed in this country.

Those blessings are secured for us by people like Gunner, Korin, Em, Abs, and Juinor.

They have my undying respect and admiration.

And Korin, thanks for teaching me a lesson I'll never forget... and one I hope everyone has the chance to learn.

Merry Christmas, one and all.

Peace on Earth...