Love in the Gaps

It’s easy to romanticize love when things are simple.

But real love—the kind that endures distance, miscommunication, trauma, and time zone differences—is rarely tidy. Especially in a lifestyle built around constant separation and reentry.

In Special Operations families, love often shows up in the gaps.

• The gap between “I miss you” and “I can’t talk right now.”

• The gap between who your partner was when they left and who they are when they return.

• The gap between what you feel and what you’re allowed to express.

And yet—love endures.

Love exists in a partner’s pre-recorded message played during a deployment.Love lives in the eyes of a child who’s learning to understand goodbye.Love persists in your commitment to showing up, even when it’s hard.

Today, honor the love that has lived through gaps.

It may not look like a postcard romance, but it’s sacred in its own way. It’s steady. It’s enduring. It’s real.

You don’t need to close the gap completely to feel connected. Sometimes, simply acknowledging it is enough.