Support military families

By now, many of you have sent Christmas care packages and gifts to one or more of our soldiers stationed far from home. Those boxes and envelopes will lift many spirits in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere.

Meanwhile, there are thousands of military families back home who are separated again, or for the first time, from their loved ones during the holiday period. It can be an especially emotional and trying time for them, too.

The rest of us can help. Here are some suggestions from the National Military Family Association (www.MilitaryFamily.org).

l Reach out to a military family; visit, or invite them for coffee or dinner.

l Offer some help - perhaps running some errands or helping with a house repair.

l Just listen. Kids, especially teenagers, are shouldering extra burden when a parent is deployed. They need people who will try to understand and be supportive.

l Encourage and thank military families for their difficult service and dedication to our country.

Just as military families and their soldier members make a difference in our lives, so, too, can we honor and uplift theirs during the holidays and all year long.