Parting is such sweet sorrow

You've seen them huddled in airports, family members packed close together, one youthful face beaming, the rest a mess of red eyes and tears.

And pride.

The young are those leaving home for distant horizons. They'll wake up tomorrow in another land, beginning the gradual immersion into another culture.

Some are off to improve themselves so they may improve the world later. Others risk everything to make our planet safer.

They are soldiers, students, missionaries, Peace Corp volunteers. They are a select few heading overseas for important jobs in fulfilling careers.

Their backgrounds are as varied as the vocations they hold or one day will possess. But this they all have in common: When they leave the comfort and safety of their homes and the strong yet quivering hugs from those who love them most, there is pain, fear and worry left in that wake.

And pride.

Until you experience it you have no idea how difficult this parting is. Today we know, and we express a new and profound appreciation for the children who leave to make the world a better place, and the adults who helped get them there.