Technology has been especially beneficial to Olivia Beason of Bluestem.
When her parents are gone for an extended period time, there are still ways for her to talk to them.
“I don’t see my parents as often as I would like,” Beason said. “Their schedules start early and can end late. It’s how I’ve always known life to be though. Texting, calling, and Facetiming have always helped when I’m not able to see my family.”
There are certain traits Beason has gained that will prove to be beneficial when she becomes an adult.
“I’ve learned skills that translate to the real world,” Beason said. “You become more grateful for the time spent together, knowing that they could have an upcoming work trip or have to leave for long periods of time.”
There is one specific memory that tugs on Beason’s heart a little more than others.
“I have many memories of saying goodbye to both my Mom and my Dad but one that sticks out to me is when I was heading to daycare, walking through the gate in the early morning, treating it like a normal day, and then my mom told me she would be gone for a while,” Beason said. “I recall hugging her and telling her I was going to miss her.”
While there have been many teary goodbyes, the memories of being reunited make Beason smile.
“A reunited memory I have is when I was missing my Mom at a volleyball tournament,” Beason said. “She had been gone for roughly six weeks. I had to play through it anyway and she surprised me by making it in time to watch me play at our last game for the night. When I saw her, I ran up flights of stairs to get to her as soon as I could, I hugged her and cried.”
