Dandelions

I ran across this poem on a dear friend's Facebook page this morning. Their Air Force career is coming to a close and they have  managed to raise 3 great kids. With the upcoming move, this little bit of prose just spoke to me.

The official flower of the Military child is the Dandelion. Why? The plant puts down roots almost anywhere, and it's almost impossible to destroy. It's an unpretentious plant, yet good looking. It's a survivor in a broad range of climates. Military children bloom everywhere the winds carry them. They are hardy and upright. Their roots are strong, cultivated deeply in the culture of the military, p...lanted swiftly and surely. They're ready to fly in the breezes that take them to new adventures, new lands, and new friends.

Experts say that military children are well-rounded, culturally aware, tolerant, and extremely resilient. Military children have learned from an early age that home is where their hearts are, that a good friend can be found in every corner of the world and in every color, and that education doesn't only come from school. They live history. They learn that to survive means to adapt, that the door that closes one chapter of their life opens up to a new and exciting adventure full of new friends and new experiences.


Thanks Tina, for this little bit of inspiration, and thanks to you all for the last 23 years of unwavering service to your country.