Itโs hard being away from your loved ones. Especially if one of those loved ones is serving in the military.
As for young kids who have parents in the military, it can be confusing.
Why is mom/dad gone for so long?โฆ When will they be back?โฆ Along with plenty of other questions. But when itโs finally time for them to reunite with mom or dad it is one of the most exciting moments in the world.
A two-year-old named Karis Oglesby had waited long enough for her fatherโs return, and it was finally the special day.
Her father, 1st Lt. Daniel Oglesby, had been deployed to Kuwait with the 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team for over 8 months.
Daniel and his wife Kristine were a bit worried about how much Karis would remember of her father.
He told ABC,
โI had left in February, and we were close, but I wasnโt sure how much she would remember me and what her reaction would be when I came back,โ
But all of those worries shortly disappeared.
It was finally the day that the deployed family members would reunite with their loved ones. Danielsโs wife Kristine, Karis, and their other 4-year-old daughter Layla were all dressed up and ready to see dad.
Karis on the other hand had a different ideaโฆ
The two-year-old saw her daddy and couldnโt wait any longer. So she sprinted right up to him for a big squeeze in the middle of the ceremony!
I mean can you blame her? 2-year-olds arenโt really known for being patient.
Besides sheโs waited far too long to get a hug from dad. The precious moment was caught on video and itโs bound to warm your heart. Daniel told ABC News,
โI was so happy that she was excited to see me โ so excited that she couldnโt even wait for the quick ceremony to be over first.โ
Families who have loved ones in the military know the struggle.
They go through all sorts of emotions ranging from extremely proud of their sacrifice and extremely worried about their family membersโ safety. Itโs not an easy feat. Daniel explained to TODAY saying,
โThatโs the toughest part of the entire job is to be away from the family, Having that reunion, it doesnโt make up for the lost time, but itโs definitely a sweet moment to finally be able to see them and embrace them again.โ
To help Karis and her older sister Layla while dads away they have a special book called โLily Hates Goodbyesโ.
The book is about a little girl whoโs dad is also away for deployment, and when she finally reunites the little girl runs to go hug her dad.
Karis took the book very literally and made that sweet story her reality.
That precious moment will be a memory The Oglesbyโs will cherish forever. Daniel also informed ABC News that he made it just in time for Karisโs 3rd birthday!
Now they all get to celebrate as a family again.
Woo hoo! Reunited and it feels so good!
You wonโt want to miss this adorable video, watch it below.
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