Stars and Stripes

At the age of 18, I packed up and left home for the unknown state of Florida and the US Navy, that was 17 years ago! I had our first son while my husband deployed for the first time! I remember wanting him there but knowing that duty came first! I had our son about 3:45 pm and a Red Cross Rep came in & took our info and said they would send him the message. That evening about 10 pm, I was woke up by nurses telling me I had a phone call at the desk. They put me in a chair and wheeled me out because no calls could be put to rooms after 9 pm. I said "Hello?" No answer. I said, "Hello?" again & from thousands of miles away my husband says, "Hi Momma!" My heart about jumped out of my chest & the nurses around me cried as I listened with everything to hear him and not breakdown myself. We were able to chat for a few minutes, he just wanted to make sure it was all okay. When the call ended, my heart sank with the reality that this is what being married to a man in the military was all about! Over the years we have moved. We left the old but in with the new. Then, we welcomed our second son in 2001. This time my husband was there & never missed one moment! All the sickness, all the mood swings, he was right there loving me all the way! We have had to endure many holidays, many birthdays alone without Dad. The joys of raising our kids, my husband has seen through pictures! With technolgy, things have gotten easier. Christmas from thousands of miles away for 2 years happened over the internet! What I wouldn't have given to have that 16 years ago when our son was born! This life we chose isn't for everybody. No it's not easy being separated for months at a time. Kids were little & just didn't understand the magnitude of what our life in the Navy was all about! Over time, we have all learned to adapt & overcome. It's the little things in life that we treasure the most! I have a note that is on our fridge from about 2006 from my husband who was so busy with being a recruiter that we didn't see him much if only for a few minutes in the morning. It was Mother's Day and he was swamped with work. And he forgot what holiday it was. He came home with a single rose. Apologized for the "gift" and to this day...that rose and the note mean more to me than anything he could have ever given to me! You just do to make this life the best it can be. Our boys will be 16 and 11 this year! Couldn't be prouder of my family for making this life the best it can be!