I was passing the time surfing the internet when I came across a very nice poem about having a Navy dad. The simple words belie a deeper emotion. Growing up with one absent parent is not easy, and the dangers that come with having a parent in the Navy makes it even harder.

While not all stories about Navy children are sweet, there is no denying that a Navy child has a lot to learn and experience. They have to grow up faster and be more mature. They have to deal with growing up with one parent absent, which means that half of what a normal childhood with a complete set of parents can give will not be there.

Some say that this can cause problems, but Debi Ketner, a Navy mom, expresses it well in a blog entry when she says that it is not all the time that children learn from what parents can give them. Sometimes, it is from what a parent gives up to raise his or her children that they learn the valuable lessons that life has to give.

Navy parents sometimes bring the military discipline that they live and breathe from the field into the home. This is why Navy children may turn out as disciplined as their Navy parents, even if they do not become soldiers themselves. There is a lot to be learned from discipline alone, as it encompasses all the different facets of life.

One major perk for a Navy child may be the opportunity for travel. Traveling provides a unique opportunity to learn through experience. Some children may find the constant need to move all over the world as something that prevents them from taking root and building relationships. But for others, it is a chance to experience what others normally cannot – taking in and immersing oneself in the diverse cultures and traditions of the world, which leads to a wider and deeper understanding of human relationships. Most of the times, it actually is about how we see it.