Children of Deployment
Recently, I listened to an interview with teenagers graduating from high school. One of the girls had only one wish… that her father would be home from Iraq in time. Mario, another student at Fort Campbell High School said of his mother’s third deployment to Iraq, “I feel like she’s missing out on a once in a lifetime opportunity.” These two young people, and others in their graduating class have spent their entire high school years with a parent deployed or between deployments to Iraq since many soldiers now serve a third tour of duty.
I began to think about how our youngest children are coping with the absence of a parent in harm’s way. What we need to remember is that children, even infants are complex individuals who experience the world deeply through their senses. The absence of someone that they love genuinely impacts them, and how they encounter the world. We, in the church, can help children by remaining a constant and caring presence in their lives, providing opportunities for the children to talk about what they are feeling, and reminding them through our words and actions that God is in the midst of all that happens in the world.
In what ways does your church reach out to military families?
Helpful Resources:
My Red Balloon by Eve Bunting
While You Are Away by Eileen Spinelli
