What “Holiday Hope” means to our Military Family

by Sara Jane Arnett

There are a lot of warm thoughts, memories, and positive connotations associated with this wonderful time of the year especially when military families have the luxury of spending those special times together, in the presence of one another. This is a luxury that most all military families never take for granted during the Holiday Season.

My husband has served in the U.S. Army for 11 years. In reality, half of those years have been spent without each other because of deployments, schools, trainings, etc. My husband’s military service commitment has to be top priority, but it never takes away from our collective commitment to our family which makes times of separation lonely, but also presents opportunities to be creative for our young children. This is where the Comfort Crew for Military Kids flies in and saves the day. Operation ”Holiday Hope” is a special time when military families (Service Members of all branches, Spouses, and children) are allowed to be candidly honest and connect with other families that are experiencing the same range of emotions across the world. It also presents the opportunity for family, friends, and military family supporters to express their gratitude to military families and to remind them that they are not alone and are in constant appreciation and thought.

“Holiday Hope” means that despite whatever situation you may be in, there will always be hope for the next time military families are together again. This is precisely the vision of the Comfort Crew for Military Kids that they “will create a world where all communities understand, nurture, and care for the needs of our military children.”

Please join us and express your heartfelt words from your own military families’ stories, thoughts, or words of encouragement to foster a positive forum that none of us are alone and provide “Holiday Hope” to lift spirits. Thank you for your service and for supporting military families around the world!