It is the Week of the Military Child. This includes Purple Up for the Military Child. On a normal year, you visit your housing office, if you live on a Military installation, for a purple pinwheel. Or you go to the local PX and get a free dandelion patch. On April 15th everyone wears a purple shirt. It is kind of a big deal if you are into all of that. Don't forget that the dandelion is the flower that represents the Military Child. This is because they are strong and resilient and used to change.
For the most part it was not a huge deal this year with all of this stuff going on. The schools on post got together and planned a teacher parade for April 15th and everyone could wear purple. Signs and banners were made and sweet anticipation rippled through the community. My kids were vibrating with excitement as the time for the first parade drew closer.
The first parade was the high school, middle school, and intermediate schools. As the kids and I stood with our sign outside of our van, we were chilly and the wind was whipping all around us. When we saw the first flashing lights of the MP, we began to squeal in delight. As they drew closer they turned on the siren momentarily and suddenly the morning air was filled with the beeping horns and shouts from the cars passing us by. As the teachers recognized my son, they would call out his name. We were so elated and full of new morale after that parade rolled on by us. Thankfully it was time for lunch break. This gave me a moment to review my own pictures, but that all my on post friends and the school fb page. I stared in awe at those videos of the parade and new deep in my hear that I had just been a part of something special, even if I was just a spectator.
Back to the grind for just a little bit. The kids each having a Google Meet. And then it was time for my daughter's school parade. The wind was much stronger this time around. The sun was high in the sky. Instead of our car being the only one in the empty lot, this time there were several and people lined up on the sidewalks. Everyone was mindful of keeping the distance. The kids were so full of excitement. You could feel the electricity from their anticipation all along the street. From our vantage point, we could see the school and when the parade began to roll out of the parking lot onto the street. The fire trucks were blowing horns, police sirens, car horns, and shouting all along the street. This parade was harder for me. Harder for my daughter. As Committee Chair for the PTO, I had spent a lot of time at this school, a lot of time talking to teachers and the other parents. Deep in my heart I knew this was a farewell of sorts.
As the last car passed us my daughter asked if we could see it again, so we hopped into the van and headed over to another neighborhood. We found a place to park and took up a spot in the island between the two streets. I was across the street from fellow PTO members and one previous PTO member. It was great to see them, but not like I thought it should be. Soon the parade was coming towards us and once again we watched those teachers roll by with joy on their faces. Again my heart felt heavy and my normally talkative daughter was quiet. Upon returning home, we called it a day.
This week were once again given a new learning platform, but this one actually gives us more control over our schedule and the time we put into it. We still have the Google meets, which is getting easier as the days go by. Today we learned that in all probability we won't return to finish out this school year. My time with the two PTOs is nearly done. I am deeply saddened that my last few months here will be spent in my home away from those who brighten my day. The great conversations and laughter and Starbucks. It is what it is and I know that this too shall pass.
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