About 52 Weeks

Each time Buddy has deployed, I have looked for ways to survive the assault on my sanity caused by having a son in a war zone. Over the years, I developed some basic techniques … like cookie baking, inventive crafting and filling care packages. Not only have my past endeavors supported Buddy in a very positive way, but they also helped me endure being the mother of a soldier during its most trying times. And, though my son’s deployments were the main motivation for creating this website, they were by no means the only reason for me taking to the Internet. I am keenly aware of the turmoil that a military career generates for all family members, not to mention the troops, themselves. This turmoil was part of the inspiration for the book 52 Weeks of Cookies which attempts to explain (often in a lighthearted way) family relationships and the effects of a deployment on them.

As the mother (or father or wife or husband) of, not just a Soldier but, any of our troops knows, it is not always easy to know what to do or even what to say sometimes. I have had the advantage of a long career of working with the military (almost eighteen years spent at the Pentagon) that has given me some insight into what our troops went (and go) through, and hence, what they might want or need when they are deployed. Basically, they know serious – they are dealing with it every day. What they need in their down time is a bit of distraction … as do all the members of our troops’ families.

It is my hope that this website can help provide that needed distraction. If it can, it will have fulfilled its purpose of survival through support. Hopefully, it will not just be meaningful to the military and their families, but for others who would like to support the troops, but are not sure where to start. Support is the key. Being as positive and upbeat as possible in that support is paramount to its success (let alone the success of this website!)
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