Dandelion

 

The official flower of the military child is the dandelion.  Why?  The plant puts 

down roots almost anywhere, and it's almost impossible to destroy.  It's an unpretentious plant,

yet good looking.  It's a survivor in a broad range of climates.  Military children bloom everywhere

the winds carry them.  They are hardy and upright.  Their roots are strong, cultivated deeply in

the culture of the military, planted swiftly and surely.  They're ready to fly in the breeze that

take them to new adventures, new lands and new friends.

Experts say that military children are well-rounded, culturally aware, tolerant, and 

extremely resilient.  Military children have learned from an early age that home is where

their hearts are, that a good friend can be found in every corner of the world and in 

every color, and that education doesn't only come from school.  They live history.

They learn that to survive means to adapt, that the door that closes one chapter

of their life opens up to a new and exciting adventure full of new friends and

new experiences.

 

I have to thank my friend Amy for sharing the above poem and her beautiful children for me to photograph.