If you're a millennial who has scrolled through popular Youtube videos, it's highly likely that at some point you've watched a military homecoming video. These emotionally packed segments implore you to feel the rush of welcoming home a loved one who has been gone protecting our country.
But what if I told you that those depict about one percent of what actually happens in military households?
That's exactly what I am telling you.
While these may move you to tears or even invoke a wide range of emotions, these videos do not properly depict the lives of military families. Homecoming days are absolutely monumental in the lives of families like mine, but these few seconds do not do any of the other day to day actions justice. For as long as I can remember, my father has been gone in six to eight month segments every other year. In the grand scheme of the military, these are short lengths of deployment, but with a family of five kids, this was an extended period of time. With his recent retirement, I have come to acknowledge a broadened prospective on what those times have taught me.
Military homecoming videos only depict the joy of return, but not what was endured while deployed. For the family members, deployment involves extended periods of time of having to explain why that person is not around, which can be awkward. Behind the scenes, spouses and significant others stress over taking care of a home without their other half, which is no easy task. Managing kids schedules and regular activities without a counterpart is sometimes grueling. As a kid, I would look up at the sky and think to myself, no matter where he is, my father saw that moon today too. That means we're in the same world, which means he is never too far away.
So the next time you watch a homecoming video, rather than relish in the moments shown, have respect for the moments that are not. Those moments of stress, worry and loneliness, which loved ones often feel. Know that behind that beautiful video, there is a family with a story to be shared.
