Believe it or not, this lonely little green plastic toy soldier has the power to induce blatant bawling in this nana. My one and only grandchild lives almost 13 hours away, so we don’t get to see her as much as we would like to. Her daddy is a U.S. Marine and they are stationed in New Orleans.
After a visit, when I know their departure is imminent, I search for anything and everything that might get left behind. This is a self-serving effort meant to spare me the tears when my emotions are finally back to normal and I find something she forgot. After one of their last visits though, I found these little guys all over the place. They were in my makeup, under the sofa, in the cabinets and even in one of my shoes. The memories rush back and the ache in my heart seems almost unbearable.
Yes, she has a huge chunk of my heart in Louisiana with her and all I have are memories until the next time.
Long walks and dark chocolate 
They have such a deep part of our heart that it is so very tough! You cannot comprehend unless you walk in those shoes! I feel your painful longing! AT
I know you understand, love you ❤