Family Pride

This letter was printed in our hometown newspaper. It's an open letter to Rick. It encompasses everything we're feeling this holiday season with Rick's deployment to Afghanistan.

Hi Honey;

I am proud of you. I’ve always been proud of you. And the fact that you are there – makes me even prouder.

This is our first deployment as a family and I won’t lie – it’s been harder than I thought it would be. We miss you. We’ve built our life together and while you’re away it’s like someone left the window open in a snowstorm.

Christmas is coming. I’ve shopped. I’ve baked. I’ve decorated. But it isn’t the same.

Liam keeps saying he’s writing Santa to bring you home for Christmas. I’ve been trying to explain that the magic doesn’t work that way and that you have to stay there to do your job this Christmas. He’s only six but I think he understands.

We’ve made the decision to stay here for the holidays. We want to be close to home. It makes us feel closer to you. And it will help the kids to be together even for a few hours.

I’ve put the presents under the tree. The ones for you have long been sent to the desert. I don’t know if you have them yet but the kids helped to wrap them and I hope you haven’t peeked.

We’re going to make this holiday the best we can. It won’t be like the others. It will pale in comparison.

But we’ll have other Christmases. Ones where we can sit on the front step and watch the snow fall onto the Christmas lights. Ones where we can stay up late and watch White Christmas and stuff stockings and you can steal the chocolate almonds and sneak the peanut butter cookies. Ones where you can sing off tune carols at the top of your lungs as you cook breakfast before the sun comes up.

But on Christmas Eve look up. Seek the North Star. Make a wish. We’ll do the same and in that moment we can have the Christmas magic together, even for just one second.

We love you. We miss you. And we are fiercely proud to be your family.

Louise, Liam, Holden, Katie and Danielle