Veteran's Day

On Veteran's Day, it is time for another serious post. It never ceases to amaze me how incredible the community I work for is. Just this last field trip I had someone chaperone a couple days before their PCS (military move) while the moving trucks were at their house. I also had someone who got back from training and got his background check and volunteer packet completed and turned in at school that same day because we were low on chaperones. Additionally, I've had parents come on a field trip the day before a deployment and others come to meetings with me after having been on duty for 24+ hours. One parent came to parent-teacher conferences yesterday on crutches after breaking his ankle on a night jump the night before. I've witnessed a mom come in at lunch to say goodbye to her daughter before deploying that day. She ran back for another hug and we all cried. One of my little guys had both of his parents deploy on the same day for a year; his grandma came to live with him. This wasn't their first time doing that. Luckily, I have also been able to see my share of surprise homecomings and countdown excitedly with the kids when they know their parent is returning soon. This is just a part of their reality. They have long periods of time without their family member, holidays celebrated again at a later date, and many "see you later"s to their friends and loved ones. However, they also have friends all over the world, resiliency, courage, strength, appreciation, respect, and so much more. They are incredible. They all have so much going on in their lives and still make their family the top priority. Veterans, we appreciate all you do for your kids, the community, and our country. Families of veterans, we see and appreciate your sacrifices as well. You’re all heroes in every definition of the word and I feel honored to even be a part of your journey. ❤️💙


Look out for a different kind of veteran post coming soon. Veterans vs. Newbie (ie naive) Parents.