'You Feel A Lot At Once, Joyful And Sad': A Military Family Is Together For Thanksgiving
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – The sacrifices of service aren't just in battle. But for families back home, there are no silver stars.
"Until you've been gone for all these holidays, you kind of take 'em for granted, right?" Major Justin Bradshaw said.
Justin and Elizabeth Bradshaw were newly engaged when he first deployed in 2009. It would be their first, although not their last, year without holidays together.
"We got engaged about 6 weeks before he deployed to Iraq," Elizabeth said.
Then in 2018, only weeks before Thanksgiving, Justin would be sent off again, only this time to Kuwait, along with the 34th Infantry Division Red Bulls.
"She really enjoyed the responsibility of feeding Selby every morning," Elizabeth said, while handing her daughter Piper the dog dish.
The couple's 3-year-old took over one of daddy's chores while he was away. Elizabeth said it was a struggle as a single parent but received a lot of help from family, friends and neighbors.
"It's complicated, because you feel a lot at once, like joyful and sad. That can be hard to deal with around the holidays," Elizabeth said.
Last May, we caught up with Major Bradshaw at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait. We would present him with a video from home made by Elizabeth and Piper. Bradshaw was moved to tears, watching the two dance and hearing their sweet messages of love and longing.
"I think the biggest thing is knowing you are missing things that are yet to come," Justin said.
After returning home in July, the Bradshaws are family once again.
Above their kitchen sink is a simple saying: "The fondest memories are made when gathered around the table."
This Thanksgiving day, their table will once again be complete.
"To have missed a couple of Thanksgivings and a couple of Christmases throughout my military career, you definitely don't take them for granted and want to remember the service members that are still deployed," Justin said.
Because sacrifices aren't just made by those in uniform.
