Photo By Petty Officer 1st Class Ali Blackburn | Noah Walsh, the youngest of four, chews on a marker while his older siblings write in...... read more read more
Subscribe
NEW YORK – It is not always easy to be in a family with a military member. They are constantly uprooted, moved around, having to say goodbye to friends, and trying to find new ones in the next unfamiliar territory. But one Coast Guard family in particular takes full advantage of the opportunities they are presented with and makes the most of their time wherever they go. It’s easy to see and feel the love and support this family has for one another, even after spending only a few hours inside their home.
Edging past the pairs of shoes in the hallway and walking through the door, three children can be seen sitting at a large table. Workbooks, pencils, Bibles, and crafts are spread across the wooden surface. The home has a comforting, welcoming, and encouraging way about it. The walls are adorned with biblical scriptures, family photos, and inspirational sayings. Use kind words. Never stay angry. Hands are for hugging, not hitting. Be grateful.
Hannah, her dark, brown hair pulled into a ponytail, diligently writes in her workbook as her younger sister, Jane Anne, quickly glances up and gives a sweet smile. Trey, the oldest, does his best to finish his reading but pops out of his seat every once in a while to play with his baby brother, Noah. The 10-month-old can be seen scooting across the carpeted floors, unable to walk on his wobbly, little legs. He coos and seeks attention from his siblings and then reaches toward the comfort that rests only within his mother’s arms.
Sarah Walsh has a bright smile and kind, brown eyes resting behind a pair of black-framed glasses. She scoops up her baby boy, monitoring her children as they go about their routine homeschooling activities. Sarah has been homeschooling her children since Trey was just five years old.
“I love spending time with my kids,” she said, her voice soft and filled with patience. “I love that we can teach them the things we want to teach them and we can use the Bible as our main textbook.”
Not only does she home school her own children but she also introduced the homeschooling program to Coast Guard Sector New York families when she and her family were first stationed in Staten Island, N.Y., with her husband. What started out small grew to include approximately 10 families with about 35 kids.
Sarah’s love seems to know no bounds; when she isn’t spending time at home teaching her children, she is heavily involved in multiple volunteer groups and clubs. She helped kickstart TeamKID, a Monday night program designed to educated young children on the Christian faith, a value held in high regard in the Walsh family. Sarah is also actively involved in the Sunshine Club. Started by Coast Guard Sector New York spouses, this group caters to families who have a new baby, a loved one in the hospital or basically any Coast Guard member in need. Sarah coordinates with the spouses to get hot meals together and bring them to those families.
“I like helping people,” she said. “And I like having that as an example of active doing and not just saying.”
Sarah and her husband, Bill, the commanding officer of Coast Guard Station New York, work hard to instill positive morals and behaviors in their children. They lead by example and give Trey, Hannah and Jane Anne many opportunities to be just as involved in the community as Sarah is. The kids help prepare meals for Coast Guard families; are part of Project Hospitality, a volunteer program that provides meals and other services to the hungry, homeless and others in need; and help to collect and bake goods for the American Veterans Organization to deliver to wounded vets at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center
“My husband and I always say that if they leave our house and they know Jesus, then we’ve done our job,” said Sarah. “I think that’s the biggest thing for us is that they know what is really important in life. At the end of the day we want them to go out and help other people.”
The careers of our service men and women would not be possible without the devotion and support of loved ones and family members. While being the spouse, child, relative, or even the pet of a military member requires patience and sacrifice. Numerous people like Sarah tackle the task head on, going above and beyond to provide that solid foundation for their families. Each day of security and freedom that our country enjoys is due to the members of our military and their families.
| Date Taken: | 11.17.2014 |
| Date Posted: | 11.18.2014 09:19 |
| Story ID: | 148118 |
| Location: | NEW YORK, ND, US |
| Hometown: | AUGUSTA, GA, US |
| Web Views: | 103 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
No keywords found.
LEAVE A COMMENT