"It's better to say too much than to never say what you need to say again." John Mayer ~ Say

  At the National Guard Youth conference this year the youth learned ways to handle deployment. Some of the ways were communicate, exercise, eat right, and find a hobby. Each region took one of the skills they learned over the week and put it to a skit or song or presentation and showed it at the final dinner for all volunteers and staff attending the Volunteer Conference. They were amazing. Not only did the youth learn things that we all need to learn so we can thrive through the tough times in life, they taught us all in ways that I will remember for the rest of my life.
 The one presentation that really got me was the communication skit. The youth learned to communicate their feelings instead of keep them inside. They set their message to music and chose John Mayer's song "Say" as the soundtrack. As they played out all of the emotions that come along with deployment, I couldn't help but cry. They had it  right. Keeping your emotions inside at a time of stress can be detrimental. Everyone needs a voice for the feelings they are having.
 It doesn't have to be a deployment for it to be a time when words must be said. The people that mean the most to you need to know how you feel. I believe one of the greatest regrets that a person can have is to not have said what needed to be said.
 There is no time like the present. Take a deep breath and tell the people you love that you love them. If there is a deployment on the horizon, talk through the feelings of it all, especially with your children. Keep a journal if talking it out is too scary, find a battle buddy so you can work through all the crazy emotions you are feeling. Don't bottle it up inside, say what you need to say.