A Millitary Wife describes a homecoming

[knapplc]

This is from a thread on the twitter.

 

 

 

 

Quote

 

Can I tell you what a military reunion is really like? I’ve been through a bunch. I’m the SME. You wait. You worry. You haven’t seen this person in months. Maybe even a year. So much has happened in that year. You want - desperately- with every cell in your body, for it to be a sweeping moment. You want to rush into each other’s arms. You want everything to be like your wedding day.

 

You want your kids to recognize him - desperately - but you’re terrified that they won’t. Especially since he’ll be in uniform & they arent used to that, & there are so many other uniforms. So you show them photos for days in advance, like flash cards, to get them used to his face. And then you wait. In the new outfit you bought. With your legs chafing, freshly shaved for the first time in months. In sexy lingerie that you hope will be seen but you aren’t sure. Because it’s awkward. Because this is, effectively, a stranger.

 

You haven’t seen him in so long, and so much has happened, to both of you, since he left. You know what happened to him because you went to the memorials for the guys who aren’t coming home.

You went to the hospital to see the guys who lost their legs. You KNOW. But you don’t know. You don’t want to know. And he doesn’t know how you’ve changed, because you didn’t tell him. You COULDN’T tell him what was happening at home because he needed his head in the game. So he come home. And then you wait. Your thong is riding up because you’re used to granny panties now and you can’t adjust it because you’re in a room full of people. The kids are fussy and bored, cranky and tired. The soldiers start appearing. Families start finding each other.

 

Your daughter runs and grabs the wrong daddy’s leg, and it’s awkward and sad and kind of pathetic for everyone. He feels bad. She is embarrassed. You only shrug. And then you see him. It takes a moment before you’re sure it’s him. And then it’s like running into an old friend somewhere. You doubt your eyes at first. But then he walks closer. And you exchange a stiff, awkward kiss. Because that’s what you’re supposed to do. And you hug. And you say loudly, emphatically, “look! Kids! It’s Daddy!”

 

And then they come to life! They SEE him! They try to climb him. They want to absorb him. And you’re grateful for this because it lets you off the hook. You need to process that it’s really over. He really did make it home. You never let yourself dare to believe that would happen. You need a minute. You need a day. You need granny panties, a glass of wine, a good laugh and some long conversation with him. You need to be you again. Us again. Together again.

You need no one watching.

/end

 

 

[funhusker]

My wife, girlfriend at the time, went to Costa Rica for only 30 days while we were dating.  We'd been dating for about 12 months when she left and things were really serious.  She was gone for one month with no contact (no cell phones, etc).  When I picked her up for the airport in Omaha and drove back to Lincoln, we both acknowledged it was weird and didn't know what to say to each other.

 

We were 23 and 21, we were luckily able to arrange a short vacation in KC to drink beer and reconnect. But even then it felt like a 48hr long "first date".  I couldn't imagine how strange it would be for a 22 year old young mother to be reunited with her 22/23 year old husband who has been on military assignment.  At least my girlfriend/wife had things about her trip that she was excited to tell me about...

[knapplc]

@funhusker    Similar thing happened with my wife and I, similar age. She went overseas to study abroad for six weeks. It was weird kinda getting to know each other all over again.

[funhusker]

7 minutes ago, knapplc said:

@funhusker    Similar thing happened with my wife and I, similar age. She went overseas to study abroad for six weeks. It was weird kinda getting to know each other all over again.

We must both be great salesmen!

 

It's hard to sell defective merchandise once, let alone TWICE to the same customer