The Long Dark Night

In the high Artic above the Artic circle, winter is a long twilight. People see very little sun during the winter months.

I have to believe that being the spouse of a soldier serving overseas is a lot like that long dark night in the Artic. They ask themselves, "How can I go on when the sun doesn't shine?" Everything is so different for them now.

It's an exercise in dealing with unknowns. Simply sitting and waiting isn't an option even though it's what you want to do. You have to keep on keeping on. Learning to survive as a single parent is hard, especially when there's another baby on the way. Taking care of a house is hard. Even shopping for groceries is hard.

Soldiers and their families sacrifice when they serve their country. People can serve their country by serving these military families. If you know a spouse of someone in the military who is overseas, bake them some cookies, offer to babysit while they go grocery shopping, or even just send a card of encouragement. Mow their grass, shovel their sidewalks. Any one of a thousand things can do a lot to brighten the days.

I try to do as much as I can for my son's family and I already feel that I'm not able to do enough. I will keep on keeping on though until the day he arrives back home.