The other side

Deployments sucks, there's no doubt about it.  It sucks for the service member and it sucks for the family in the rear.   Both my husband and I have both been deployed twice before and we both remember getting on the bus to head to the plane on both ends.  On one end, you are nervous, but ready to just get there and get started in your job to make the time go by more quickly.  Then the time comes that your replacements show up and you start the process of showing them the ropes. 

Both times, for me, I was focused on the suck of it.  The fact that I was leaving again.  It doesn't matter that this is the life we chose, it still has moments that just plain aren't the highlight of it.  The thing I hadn't thought about was the other side.  Just was much as we looked forward to the time when our replacements came so we could go home, the families that were waiting for us to come home were as well. 

I don't think I realized that as much until I watched my husband say goodbye to our boys again.  And honestly, when you are enduring that hurt, it's hard to think outside of your little bubble at that moment in time.  But then it hit me, down the road when it's time for him to come home, we will be so excited.  There will be banners made and homecoming shirts ordered, the house will get a good final scrubbing and the puppy will get a bath.  We will all load up and drive to the ceremony and rush into our soldier's arms and our family will be whole again. 

Our time is down the road for that, but for another family when my husband hit the ground there, another soldier was packing his bags and looking at that picture that has been hanging up of his family one last time before packing it away.  In a few short days, that soldier will no longer need that picture because he will be running into his family's arms and their little family will be whole again. 

So while that doesn't fix the hole in our hearts while our soldier has to be gone, today was a little easier thinking through it that way.  And when our soldier is backing away our picture, I will make sure to say a prayer for that family that is saying 'see you soon' so we can be whole again.