Soldiers have one of the hardest lines of work in the world. Not only do soldiers risk their lives to protect their country on a routine basis, but they also sacrifice many other aspects of their lives. Putting oneself in the midst of war is a dangerous decision and this is why soldiers require a lot of training to ensure they will be able to withstand the hardships of war. If fighting in a war is not hard enough, being far away from home and missing the people you left behind makes life even harder.
Soldiers are often stationed far away from their families in order to carry out their roles. This means that their families have to adjust to life without them for long stretches of time and that can take a major toll on their lives. More often than not, soldiers are deployed for months at a time, which means that many things may change at home while they are away. This often means they have to adjust to a whole new environment when they return home.
Most of us have seen the videos of American soldiers returning from tours of duty and reuniting with their loved ones, whom they haven’t seen in a long time. Many of the videos consist of soldiers surprising their wives at home or going to their children’s schools. Their children often become emotional at the sight of them and jump into the arms of their fathers or mothers.
These videos tug on our heart strings as we see families reunite before our eyes. In some instances, many parents have missed out on entire periods of their children’s development. Especially in the case of infants or toddlers, a lot of milestones can be missed if a parent is absent for months at a time. When one soldier got sent to the other side of the world with his unit, he was heartbroken that he had to say goodbye to his wife and daughter. He was sent to Kuwait and knew that he would be away for 6 months and he was counting down the days until he could hold them again.
But when the day finally arrived and he arrived at the airport after his tour of duty was over, he saw his wife standing at the Arrivals gate holding another baby. The soldier was completely overwhelmed and he could not believe his eyes…
[post_page_title]Going away[/post_page_title]
Scott Cartwright and his wife Elizabeth reside in Ohio with their daughter, Nora. Their family photos tell a story of a couple very much in love, in particular this one, from their wedding day. As it can be extremely hard when a parent has to go away for work trips, when Scott’s Job took him away from his family, it was very difficult for both him, his wife and their daughter to find a new balance for their family unit.
