Someone once told me that the emotional ties we make to other people are all in our head. I disagree. I think that they go further than that. I believe these ties go into our minds, our chemical makeup, and our souls.

When my son was about six months old, my husband joined the air force. The day he was set to leave, we had to drop him off at the recruiter's office which was located in a mall.

When we arrived at the mall, my son was so happy! He was looking at all the people and the items in the store. He loved the noise, the action, and being with his parents.

We made it to the recruiters office and my son became a bit edgy. He could tell that I was upset some and he could sense that his Dad was a little stressed. He started clinging to us as my husband signed paperwork and got his bags into the office.

My son was so excited when we started to leave the cramped office. He was happy to leave the place that made his parents act so different. He looked a little confused when I hugged my husband and started to walk away. When he realized that we were leaving his daddy, he burst into tears. He screamed and screamed all the way to the car and for the thirty minute drive back home.

Keep in mind that he is only six months old. He doesn't understand goodbye and he didn't understand what was taking place. He could however, understand the feeling of loss. He felt wronged that we had separated him from his father. He knew that it wasn't an ordinary, goodbye "I'll see you after work". He picked up on his father's pain from leaving him. At only six months old, he proved that the emotions we feel are real and vital.

The entire time that my husband was at boot camp, my son was not himself. He was clingy and whinny instead of happy and vibrant. He no longer wanted to sleep in his baby bed at night, he wanted to sleep with me. He had never done that before. He was quiet and withdrawn, almost like he was grieving.

Then came the day that his daddy returned. My son was sleeping and my husband went and picked him up. My baby opened his eyes, looked at his daddy, and laid his head on his chest and went back to sleep. My baby was back to normal. Just as fast as that. He slept in his own bed and in the morning, he was himself again.

Can there be any better proof that our emotional ties are more than just "in our head"?

Learn more about this author, Lindsey Stell.
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