It is said that a military move is as hard on teens as divorce and dealing with death even. I have come to see how true this is with my own teen. Since her friend moved a few months back and then our own move, things have been specially hard on our oldest daughter. As if being 14 wasn’t hard enough, she was torn from her best friend during a time when teenagers are starting to venture into the world and defining themselves next to their peers. Not only did her best friend move but then we moved away from all that she had grown used to. It isn’t easy for anyone but I think maybe I wasn’t expecting it to be this hard for her. My expectations though don’t mean much beyond that I wasn’t fully prepared.
Thankfully her best friends mother was ready, in addition to helping the girls find ways to be social with facebook and video chatting the Mom asked if we her daughter could come visit over her spring break. While my daughter still has cyber school during this time and that isn’t as flexible as other kinds of homeschooling it wasn’t something I could pass up. We will make it work. When Hope has spring break next month she will be going to her friends house for a week though her friend will be in school during the days. I know they will make it work there too. I love that we are able to do this and I am learning a lot about helping teens stay connected. I am also being gien the chance to help all my children learn that just because friends don’t see each other often and may not talk very often that doesn’t mean they are not friends. Infact the best of friends can go long periods of time without seeing one another and when they do get the chance it is like they never spent time apart in the first place. It is beautiful and powerful and a kind of friendship that Military life can give us a few times over. We are lucky to have dear friends in so many places now.
