"We can learn a lot from trees:  they're always grounded but never stop reaching heavenward. " ~Everett Mámor

The winding roads of Bavarian Germany held many amazing sights. You could always see a deer or fox or rabbits and occasionally a herd of sheep and their shepherd. One road that I traveled on often had many hills and green pastures.
 On a bright summer afternoon I caught sight of something that I remember still today. Off in the distance, less than a mile from the road, on the top of a hill, stood a huge tree full of leaves. One trunk and an expanse of treetop that looked regal and strong. I pulled off the road to look at the tree and imagine it's lifespan. It held a place all alone on that hill and looked as if it had weathered any storm that nature could throw at it. I have never seen such a strong and large tree since that one.
 Just down the road on the top of the next hill stood a cluster of trees. Their trunks weren't as large and their treetops were uneven. There were at least ten trees huddled together, sharing the real estate. The leaves were as green and the trunk was as brown, but none of them looked as strong as the single tree that I saw before them.
 As I drove away I thought about the difference of being a single strong tree or a group of trees that are strong together. I have to admit, the one tree really appealed to me. It commanded my attention, demanding that I respect all that it had done to keep it's place on the top of the hill. It had plenty of room to grow and fill out all of its vast branches. I vowed to be like that single tree, reaching my potential and standing strong alone.
 Still, the trees on the next hill stuck in the back of my head. None too flashy, none commanding a presence, but all standing strong together to weather what nature planned.
 As the months passed in Germany and our Soldiers deployed to Iraq, these trees taught me so many lessons. As much as I initially wanted to be the strong Military Family that held it's ground on the mountain top while my husband was gone, I realized it wasn't the best plan. The storms and the sunshine of deployment aren't meant to be weathered alone. As the days passed, the families that came together, struggled together, triumphed together and stood together were the ones who grew the most. Had I kept my first vision of standing alone, the deployment would have been full of trying times and not the memories of friendship, camaraderie and connectivity that I have. Those days were tough, and many were long, but they were not lonely.
 We chose to stand together and to draw strength as a team.
 It is what military families do best.