Waiting for a loved one to come home can seem like forever. But when you are two, and that someone is your daddy, time stands still. It’s also hard to explain to a 2 year old that the US Military has a timetable of their own and even though they say they will be there at 4pm, they may really mean 7pm! So what do you do while waiting for daddy to arrive? You play, of course. You snuggle. You run around. And you wait a little more. With the Honolulu city skyline in the background, we waited. This was one of the very rare occasions when I didn’t actually get to see this sweet family reunite in person. The Coast Guard took so long to arrive in port, and then to dock, that it was dark before the sailors were even allowed to get off the boat. And what was even worse, was this daddy had to stay on the boat and secure everything before he was able to get off and hold his family again. Elise and her children were some of the most patient, sweet and loving people I have met to date. So calm and just took everything in their stride. No tears, although there were disappointments, but they knew if they waited patiently enough, their daddy would step off the boat and catch them in his big strong arms and hold them forever. Welcome home, John. I know two beautiful ladies and one very hands-on young man who are thrilled you are back!
