Last year I was living in Okinawa, Japan. My husband in a Marine and we were stationed there for the last three years. As happy as I was to be with him I missed my daughter and her husband as well as the rest of our families. We will be spending Christmas in Mighigan and New Year's in Indiana. My daughter and her husband will be with us before they head off to Hawaii for 3 years. So we are indeed blessed this year.
When you are in the military this happens a lot. It's a hard thing not to be with family. Whenever possible we have as many single or unaccompanied people over for dinner usually on Christmas Eve. I grew up in the military and can remember the house full of guys, usually very young and very lonely. Some were away from their families for the first time. When you can't get in your car and drive home for the holidays it's nice to know you have a place to go and feel like you belong. That's what we've always tried to do, and love having them in our home to share some holiday cheer. They tell me over and over how much they appreciate being with us, but my joy comes from knowing they are not alone.