On Friday night our son came home to his family. We tried to give him the best welcome home celebration we could during a pandemic. My wife and daughter-in-law made shirts for a number of the immediate family. They filled the yard with signs welcoming him home. Lots of balloons and flags.
https://imgur.com/a/k9YdliA
He was landing at the airport at 9 pm so the yard was decorated for most of the day. I think the coolest moment of the day was when I was approached by a neighbor I had never met. I was getting something outside in my car and he came walking up on the sidewalk... "Hey! What time does Sarge get home tonight?" (We had a big welcome home Sargent _____" in the yard). I told him pretty late, wasn't landing until 9 pm. He asked if it would be ok if they came down and clapped for him when he arrived at home. I told him of course they could do that and was humbled by their request.
As the night went on we had about a dozen people waiting for him in the front yards. Our family and a couple of his closet friends. As we were getting ready for him to come home from the airport with my daughter-in-law I looked up and here came another group of people across the street. All with lawn chairs and flags. It was the neighbor from around the corner and other neighbors that he talked to. My wife and I walked over to meet them. She was unable to keep the tears back. Here was this group of people we didn't know that took the time out of their Friday evening to welcome home a soldier. It was pretty awesome. With all the nonsense we have going on in this world to see this showing of appreciation meant more than any of them even could know.
Our grandson didn't know his daddy was coming home. All he knew was "we were having a party!". When they finally pulled down the street we had people lined up on the street holding signs and cheering for him. When he got out of the car his son ran up to him and jumped into his arms. Daddy was home. After they had their moment his wife brought him his 11 month old daughter. He was their for 4 days when she was born, then was back on orders. We were all anxious to see what she would do. She doesn't like people she doesn't know. She will cry if someone gets to close to her she hasn't been around. He had talked to her via facetime while he was gone, but she is only 11 months old. She had no idea what any of that was. He crouched down to where mom was holding her and smiled at her. Told her "Hello beautiful". She looked at him with those unsure eyes, looked back at her mother and then let him take her and give her a big hug. I think that was when I couldn't hold back the tears anymore. At one point I found my wife and gave her a big old hug. Told her "You can finally breathe again". It was a LONG deployment for her. While I'm pretty good at ignoring the things I can't control, she is a mom and can't turn that part off in her. She held that family together while never being able to be fully whole herself.
In these past 11 months the world has been pretty chaotic. Our son left to go serve in another country. We took on the role of the other parent for our grandchildren. Then we had a pandemic, riots, race issues, and absolute political nastiness everywhere. On Friday we saw the awesome side of our community and friends.
Thanks for letting me share these things on here. Until you go through one of these things, it is hard to understand how difficult it really is. The appreciation I've gained for other military families is enormous. The sacrifices everyone makes to serve this country is amazing. Those of you who are military that have shown support, shared stories... Thank You for doing what the rest of us can't or aren't willing to do!
Oh... And we saved the last army guy in the jar for Daddy and son to move together...
https://imgur.com/gallery/dGRZ66M