Looking at a picture of my children sitting on a rocky hillside that I had edited to look like they were sitting by water with their reflection, it brought me back to that day even though it was taken over a decade ago. My kids, 3 to 13 years old, had willingly posed together for me, pasting smiles to their faces so we could send a picture to their father, who was far away on a deployment that ended up being 18-months long this time around. Vacationing as a parent by yourself with four kids is always a challenge, but trying to create a happy childhood with some semblance of stability for military kids can get especially challenging.

Constant moves to different states and countries, switching schools mid-year, packing and repacking regularly, saying goodbye and hello to military childhood friends who were in and out of their lives like a spinning doorway, dealing with a father who was often absent and rarely present as he also struggled with addiction issues, my own feelings of inadequacy lack of Godly identity, a busy calendar filled with activities, living far away from any support of extended families like grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins that they didn’t really get a chance to bond with very well… anyway, LIFE FOR A MILITARY CHILD IS HARD.

Don’t overlook the value and beauty of a dandelion.

Is it any wonder that the official flower of a military child is a DANDELION? Often forced to grow anywhere, but the wind blows them far and wide so they pop up in the most unexpected places. Unfortunately, they often don’t fit in to landscapes of children that have been purposefully planted there, and since they are there for a short season they are often ignored.

Military families are forced to become resilient or they will not “cut the mustard.” Almost like admitting defeat, many families will opt to leave the military life madness and choose civilian life. Life’s a choice, and families have to do what is best for them, but we didn’t want to ever give in to the stress and tap out. After 21 1/2 years of following my husband around during his career active-duty service, I eventually tapped out too. The kids don’t get to choose, though, and in a career military family like ours, they have two choices… become resilient or become bitter. We all have that choice about our circumstances, though, don’t we?

— Become resilient or become bitter —

May you challenge yourself today to reflect resiliency rather than bitterness, love rather than hate, and joy rather than discontentment. You didn’t get to choose your life trials, just like these kids didn’t, but you CAN choose how you respond to them.

(Edited from Original Published Story by Steph on Medium.com, May 27, 2023)