Sometimes kids ask Santa for something they really want but in reality know the request is impossible. This is what happened for us on Friday. Jade asked Santa to bring her daddy home for 2 days so he could be home for Christmas.
Understanding the fact that her daddy is in Afghanistan and serving where he is needed right now he told Jade that bringing him home was impossible. However, what he did NOT know is that while she looks like a normal child and acts in many ways like a normal child, she is a child with autism. The other thing he could not have known is the emotional fallout she would face with being told her daddy coming home for Christmas is impossible.
While she KNEW this before hand, she at the same time did not fully realize this aspect. What she does not seem to understand is the travel time involved in one soldier taking leave. Just for the 2 weeks leave or even 2 days leave, there is the 7-10 travel each way. This would require 2-3 weeks leave just for 2 days of leave for one soldier to be gone for a couple days. Physically, an impossible task to allow the soldiers to go home for Christmas as the work there does not stop just because Christmas is celebrated on the 25th.
Once we left the party we talked about the importance of their father staying at work there in Afghanistan due to his leadership position. We also talked about the soldiers that need him there. There are 24 total in the group so he is in a team and everyone needs to work together to help each other. We also talked about how we help each other here, and how this year is his turn to help others during this Christmas season.
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