“This year my twelfth birthday was not so great as my father was away in Afghanistan. He has already been away for about a year with work. I am quite frustrated though as his tour has just been extended.”
“I board Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday night and then go back home for the weekend which means I would only see him two days a week. It makes me feel irate and cheated that the boundary keeps changing. I feel like he has already done his part in the military tour. I am more than angry and upset about this extension.”
These are extracts from a letter that a 12 year old wrote in response to the frustration of his father being deployed for a long time. They remind us of the importance of respite breaks and how they can help to reconnect families. Thank you to all of our donors who make them possible.