Not everyone is fortunate enough to spend the holidays with their loved ones. Each year many military families go through deployments during the holidays and have their service member overseas. This is probably on of the toughest times of the year for these families. No one wants to worry about the safety of someone they love, especially over the holiday season. Here is a little more insight on what these families experience.

1. The missing member

For these families it is a dad, mom, son, daughter, sister, brother, that is missing over the holiday. Someone close and dear that means so much to the family. Someone who they want more than anything to be home, but can't.

2. The guilt

It's hard to enjoy the holiday when you know that special person isn't there. When you know you are home safe in your bed, and they sleeping in the dangers backyard. It's hard to eat all of the yummy holiday food, knowing they are getting chow and MREs. It's difficult to be enjoy opening presents, when you know they are at work that same day. It's hard to be happy because you feel like a part of you is missing.

3. Praying for a phone call

As everyone else is gathering with their families, yours feels missing and broken. One thing that many don't realize is, when your loved one is deployed, you don't get to talk to them every day. And during the holidays the line for the phones overseas is packed. It's really hard for families to communicate, all these families want is for one simple conversation of "I love you and I'm safe.

4. The Praying for safety

Every second of every day these families are praying that their loved one is safe, but it is brought to a whole new level over the holidays. The tragedy of something terrible happening of Christmas is unthinking able.

5. The broken Christmas wish

If you ask any military child, whose parent is deployed off the holiday, what do they want for Christmas the answer will be the same. They will tell you I want my parent to come home. It the one thing they, want and the one thing they cannot have.

This holiday break please keep these in your thoughts and prayers. Pray for fast deployments, and safe homecomings. They need all the support they can get.