THE DYNAMICS OF FAMILY

It was an interesting scene as the soldiers and family members gathered at the company last night. In front of the barracks is a grassy quadrangle where benches had been placed for folks to sit during the hours we would be there.

The soldiers were intermittently busy drawing their weapons from the arms room, and conducting equipment checks. In between these activities they were of course free to spend these hours with their loved ones.

And I noticed that the families tended to cluster as families...and not in larger groups as friends, although many of these families are good and close friends.

The groupings indicated that these were family moments. As well they should be.

Later, in the wee hours of the morning as the soldiers were finally aboard the busses and the busses pulled away, I like so many others in the same circumstance of worry and longing and pride and fear stood on tiptoes to wave goodbye one more time. And when the busses were no longer in sight, I looked around. For the first time all night we the families were standing in one large group.

I suppose family may have many definitions.