My Everyday Life: Life During Deployment-Today I Cried

So, today I cried.

Zoe has made no secret of the fact that she misses her Daddy. She tells our neighbors every time we walk to the mailbox. She tells the cashier at the store no matter which store it is. On Tuesday, she told her gymnastics coach, only to remind her again on Wednesday when we saw her that she, "Really misses her Daddy." I've completely lost count of how many times my precious daughter has looked up at me with those great big eyes and said, "I just miss my Daddy."

I love that Z can express herself as well as she does and I'm glad that she tells me when she is missing him. It gives us the chance to color pictures to send him, to pray for him, and to look through the flip book of pictures of her and her daddy together. It encourages me to keep him a present part of our home and to talk about what he might be doing that day. It also gives me the chance to snuggle my girl just a little bit more and to pass on the "I love you"'s that she desperately needs to hear.

Today though, was different. Today Zoe got a video message from her Daddy. It was really to both of us, but for my Zoe girl, all she cared was that it was Daddy. Not once today did I hear the words, "I just miss my Daddy." Instead I heard, "Zoe wants to watch Daddy one more time." Followed quickly by "Just one more time, Mommy. Please, one more time."

As I watched her run back to the computer time after time today my heart just filled up. I could see the beauty in her innocent love for her Daddy. I could see the hope in her eyes that her Daddy's face would show up once again. I could see the passion she felt over this simple connection to her Daddy. It captured my heart over and over.

So tonight as I go to bed, my prayer once again is simply this:
Protect us Lord as we're apart. Be our strength and our shield.
Teach us to grow as we press on. Strengthen our love, increase our heart.