Man's Best Friends

Logan has become adorably concerned with C's whereabouts. All. The. Time.

"Where you going, Daddy?"

"Daddy go to work?" "Daddy go ensercise? (exercise)" "Daddy go potty?" (Yes, that makes me laugh). 

"Daddy take a shower?" "Daddy wake up?" "Daddy go sleep?"

"Daddy be right back?" "Daddy coming back soon?"

It is constant. He is always aware of his placement, of his mood, of his needs.

"Daddy hungry?" "Daddy need water?" "Daddy tired?"

It brings so much joy to my heart to see how well our boys are doing. And I know it may not always be this way. I know that after the next deployment my little Logan will be much bigger. My little Logan will start Kindergarten the next time C is deployed. My baby Eli will be Logan's age - starting preschool. 

Wow. 

That hit me hard. 

Okay. Back to the present. 

My boys know their daddy. My Eli runs to him. He laughs. He hugs his legs. He reaches up to him and says, "Daddy!" It is as though no time has passed for Logan. C's still his best buddy. Still his favorite person in this world. He still wants him at every moment. Still plays with him, seeks his approval, wants to be around him any chance he gets. These precious, precious boys love their daddy. These beautiful boys know their daddy.

I cannot tell you how much I take that as a victory. How indescribably grateful I am every time I hear them call his name. Every time Logan asks one of his hundreds of questions about C. Every time Eli chooses to run to him instead of me.

I am so grateful for how much C loves them, how much they love C. 

There is little more beautiful than the relationship between a father and his children. There is little more incredible to me than seeing how much this relationship has grown through eleven months of separation, with six-thousand miles between, living two continents apart, while C lived with and worked among people of a different culture, different religion, different belief. 

And they are still best buddies.

I am so very grateful.