We are very happy with the way our daughter is coping with this deployment.
Her father has been deploying since she was 2 1/2 weeks old. Every time he would leave, her world would end. Mini hunger strikes, clinging to me so much I had to stay in uniform until I got her to sleep. Clumsy accidents that involved blood and the emergency department. And that was just in her first four years of life!
Now that she’s older, she’s made herself the nurturer for all of us. Hugs, kisses, and a brave face.
We didn’t plan on the one thing (which happened by chance) that is making her absolutely ecstatic. A pen pal! A fellow military brat pen pal. Our daughter literally squeals when she receives a letter from her friend. Devours the letter and then immediately writes her back. She’ll add a drawing, share her feelings and ask her pen pal more questions. She reads the letters to me and saves each one.
We’re happy that this is easing some of her sadness and that she’s discovered a love for a handwritten gift in the mail. She waits a few days after mailing a letter and then insists on checking the mail until the next one arrives. It’s heart-warming to watch.
Are your kids pen pals with other military children?
