Ashley
8/24/12
Reflective Essay

Having a dad in the Army
Has something an important impacted your life? One of the things that have impacted my life the most was when my dad went to Afghanistan for a year. I was in the sixth grade when he left. This was not the first time he has gone overseas. The first time was for six months when I was in fourth grade when he went to Iraq. This time when my dad was gone it was a very difficult year. I have learned many things from my dad leaven for a year. I have learned reasonability and family bonding skills. I have two sisters and one brother, so I am the oldest out of four. I was like a second mom for the year. I have many memories from when he left that day to the day he got back. When he left I was crying my eyes out. When he left we did not lost contact with him. This was great that we could call him and video chat him. Everyone in the army gets a two week leave. My dad’s two week leave was during Christmas. I remember waiting in the airport for him and he was taking forever to come out, so I put my hands on my face acting like binoculars. After a few minutes of doing that I just started to cry. Then he finally came out it was the happiest moment for my life. On Ventures Day I was sick so I did not go to school. My mom said it might have been a good thing I did not go because the next day my teacher played a PowerPoint with army pictures and sad music. That made me miss my dad so I just started balling in the middle of it. I have learned a lot from this experience. The hardest thing for me had to be growing up and mature. I also had to help my mom with the kids a lot because she still had to work every day. There was a Pre-K, second and third grade child in my house. I had to do a lot to help out around the house like sometimes make dinner and babysit the kids. I think because all this happen I am more mature the kids in my grade. This whole thing has shaped my views for my future. It has made me