Like many Military families we live far away from our family. We can’t drive there for a long weekend and to fly is pretty expensive. As much as I would love to spend Thanksgiving at home this year, it just isn’t going to happen. Since becoming a military family six years ago, most of the holidays have been spent away from family. Some years we have been able to have family come and visit but it doesn’t happen too often for us.
This year will be a year without family coming to visit. This year we plan to get together with another family that also doesn’t have family coming. This is common with military families. A lot of times you spend those holidays with friends, not family. Sometimes the wives and the children all get together since the husbands are downrange. We did a big dinner in 2006 because we were in Germany and our guys were deployed. Sometimes the husbands are home but it just doesn’t work out to be with family. As much as I love family, it is a wonderful thing to be able to make new memories with friends. We create a stronger bond with each other and create wonderful memories. The kids play together and the adults can enjoy each others company. We create new traditions and create a new sense of holiday normal.
Are you always able to go home for Thanksgiving or do you usually get together with your friends and make new traditions?
