There have been some fantastic unit homecomings in the grand USCG this past week. I love homecomings. I am a sucker for them. They don't even have to involve me.
What can I say? I'm a hopelessly sappy romantic.
I hope everyone enjoys their reconnecting and makes the most of every moment. As we all know, the times between homecomings and subsequent deployments often goes all too quick.
One of my favorite homecoming was when my oldest daughter was six months old. Dad left when she was just about 3 months old. Now, for any of you parents out there, you know how quickly a new baby can change in a three month time period. Dad came home and was over the moon with his growing baby girl. She really had no idea who he was at that point, but the reunion was still momentous for us as a family. We realized that our life was about to change more than we expected.
I know two Coastie families just this past weekend who welcomed new babies. While I'm excited for them, my heart is a little blue because I know the dads will be waving goodbye in the all too near future as the moms are at home with the precious bundles.
You can endure times apart and you certainly miss your loved ones when they are gone, but you throw a kid in the mix and it's a whole new ball game. They grow so quickly and often the deploying parent misses not only holidays and birthdays, but also significant milestones.
In my family, we do our best update my man in blue via email and with photos when he's underway so he still feels included. We are very fortunate. I can remember days when the only communicating was done through snail mail. So, yes, I am thankful for technology.
Regardless of technology though, my man in blue is saddened by all he misses. His little ones are too. It's not an easy life. I will say, the kids have been resilient for the most part, but sometimes I think they are just putting on a brave face for mom who misses their daddy so much too.
I know that my husband is going to miss some pretty big life moments for us this year. Still, I am already looking forward to the homecomings and how I can make each one special for all of us.
Showing posts with label homecoming. Show all posts
Showing posts with label homecoming. Show all posts
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Friday, January 1, 2010
How many months and counting?
Happy New Year and prosperous tidings to you all!
Now, that I've gotten that out of the way, figuratively speaking, I'm freaking out!
Surely, I'm not the only spouse in a downright frenzy over the impending season of change. A friend wrote today of her excitement for what this year was to bring. For that, she is right. Excitement, but elation? I'm not quite sure at this juncture.
Our quaint home marketed to the masses, sits, unmoved. I’m determined to remain confident that it will sell. Of course, my stress level is heightened not only by the stagnant housing market, but also because I’m trying to find not-so-crummy-affordable-housing clear across the country. We live modestly, but I do have standards. I trust that something good will come our way.
My mother, bless her heart, suggested perhaps the children and I stay behind if we are “stuck”. While we have entertained that notion, GEO-baching just isn’t super appealing right now. Still, Semper Gumby will prevail in odd occasions and will allow that to happen if there are no other options.
There are always options. We could live in a tent. Camping is amusing. It definitely would meet the “excitement” criteria. The man in blue would be underway largely for our tour in the new locale, so one adult and three youngins’ to a tent is manageable and MAD! Alright, that’s out.
Shacking up with someone else. Oh, I don’t think I could impose. They’d have us out on our mooching backsides within a week no doubt, even if it were family, who will be within a couple of hours of the new location. Besides, sharing my home with another adult outside of my husband is something that has been long forgotten. Roommates are just not my thing. I’m far too headstrong to change my personal living habits and intolerant of others' laziness. Moreover, I appreciate and respect my friends too much to subject them to my irrationality daily. After all, we’d probably not be friends before long.
Oh and schools! We cannot even begin to look at schools until we have an inkling of where we will closet our clothing and park the cars. No matter though, my eldest announced last week she’d like me to homeschool her. Hmmmm. Yes, there are significant appealing aspects of that and I have contemplated it considerably. Still, the man in blue made an excellent point about her and her sister having the distraction of a school setting while he’s deployed. Sometimes he knows a thing or two. What about me though, me and the little one who’s not in school yet. We’ll be home. Alone. Together. Eeep! Yes, the man in blue also suggested that perhaps, just maybe, I don’t work for this next tour.
I just reclaimed my career a little over a year ago. I don’t know what to think. Emotions are swirling around my head and heart on this piece. I unquestionably wouldn’t be bored, so that’s not why I hesitate on this matter. I have more than enough to fill my day. Though, it’s the luxuries we have become accustomed to with my paycheck filling the home coffers. We eat out when we want. We go on dates. I buy pretty unmentionables. I take my kids to the movies when I want. Without me working those things will temporarily fall by the wayside. I know, I know, it’s all temporary. Heck, I say that all the time. Why can’t I get myself to feel okay with it thought?
I think what I need to do is center myself. A return to simpler things will likely be the next step to make this PCS manageable and happy for all of us. I guess I would need the pretty unmentionables, if the man in blue is underway anyhow, but my kids do need my attention and love. That should be enough to help center me for the next few years. To my neighbors, whoever you may end up being, I may need a sitter for a few minutes here and there for my sanity and bring over a pitcher of cocktails on move-in day, will ya?
Now, that I've gotten that out of the way, figuratively speaking, I'm freaking out!
Surely, I'm not the only spouse in a downright frenzy over the impending season of change. A friend wrote today of her excitement for what this year was to bring. For that, she is right. Excitement, but elation? I'm not quite sure at this juncture.
Our quaint home marketed to the masses, sits, unmoved. I’m determined to remain confident that it will sell. Of course, my stress level is heightened not only by the stagnant housing market, but also because I’m trying to find not-so-crummy-affordable-housing clear across the country. We live modestly, but I do have standards. I trust that something good will come our way.
My mother, bless her heart, suggested perhaps the children and I stay behind if we are “stuck”. While we have entertained that notion, GEO-baching just isn’t super appealing right now. Still, Semper Gumby will prevail in odd occasions and will allow that to happen if there are no other options.
There are always options. We could live in a tent. Camping is amusing. It definitely would meet the “excitement” criteria. The man in blue would be underway largely for our tour in the new locale, so one adult and three youngins’ to a tent is manageable and MAD! Alright, that’s out.
Shacking up with someone else. Oh, I don’t think I could impose. They’d have us out on our mooching backsides within a week no doubt, even if it were family, who will be within a couple of hours of the new location. Besides, sharing my home with another adult outside of my husband is something that has been long forgotten. Roommates are just not my thing. I’m far too headstrong to change my personal living habits and intolerant of others' laziness. Moreover, I appreciate and respect my friends too much to subject them to my irrationality daily. After all, we’d probably not be friends before long.
Oh and schools! We cannot even begin to look at schools until we have an inkling of where we will closet our clothing and park the cars. No matter though, my eldest announced last week she’d like me to homeschool her. Hmmmm. Yes, there are significant appealing aspects of that and I have contemplated it considerably. Still, the man in blue made an excellent point about her and her sister having the distraction of a school setting while he’s deployed. Sometimes he knows a thing or two. What about me though, me and the little one who’s not in school yet. We’ll be home. Alone. Together. Eeep! Yes, the man in blue also suggested that perhaps, just maybe, I don’t work for this next tour.
I just reclaimed my career a little over a year ago. I don’t know what to think. Emotions are swirling around my head and heart on this piece. I unquestionably wouldn’t be bored, so that’s not why I hesitate on this matter. I have more than enough to fill my day. Though, it’s the luxuries we have become accustomed to with my paycheck filling the home coffers. We eat out when we want. We go on dates. I buy pretty unmentionables. I take my kids to the movies when I want. Without me working those things will temporarily fall by the wayside. I know, I know, it’s all temporary. Heck, I say that all the time. Why can’t I get myself to feel okay with it thought?
I think what I need to do is center myself. A return to simpler things will likely be the next step to make this PCS manageable and happy for all of us. I guess I would need the pretty unmentionables, if the man in blue is underway anyhow, but my kids do need my attention and love. That should be enough to help center me for the next few years. To my neighbors, whoever you may end up being, I may need a sitter for a few minutes here and there for my sanity and bring over a pitcher of cocktails on move-in day, will ya?
Sunday, September 6, 2009
There is nothing so sweet as a reunion between a parent and a child.
Patiently waiting with impatient children, I stood in the crowed and bustling airport the other night, surrounded by many other folks also awaiting the return of their loved ones. Finally, after what seemed an eternity to the kids, we saw the face of one of the man in blue's team walk in the hurried crowd. Focused on getting his attention, thinking my husband must be right behind him, the children and I stared and waved frantically. Of course, much to our surprise, the man in blue had already spotted us and was coming toward us from another direction. Well, when my children saw him, they could not get out of their own way fast enough.
Their faces lit up with brilliance and their feet moved jack rabbit fast. Pummeling him with their little selves, the children enveloped daddy with their welcoming arms. Of course, my younger daughter beat the other two to the punch and wrapped her arms and legs around him as if she had not seen him in a year. It was the best feeling in the world to know to watch this reunion, and I know my husband felt the same.
You see, my younger two children have not had the luxury of cutter deployments. So, they are not seasoned like my oldest daughter. She is pretty understanding of the routine, well as much as a kid can be. She knows that anything can happen and tries to go with the flow. She is a trooper for sure. Our younger children, however have only really known or at least are only old enough to remember the recent trips, which are, on average, shorter than stereotypical CG deployments. My younger daughter was born when my husband was assigned to his last cutter, but she was really too young to have any knowledge of what was going on. Now, though, she is fully aware and has expressed that daddy really should not have to leave. Period.
In a strange way, we know that these shorter trips are a blessing because the man in blue does not have to be gone long, but it also gives the kids a little taste of things yet to come (possibly). Who knows where we will end up next, but we are not ruling anything out.
So, he is home. I slept better the other night than I had the whole time he was gone. What is it about that? I know I am not the only one falling asleep with the television on and lying next to a really big pillow in hopes of providing a false sense of comfort. Of course, also waking periodically through the night (after FINALLY falling asleep) to check the phone, the cell phone and every other noise you hear. Oh, boy, am I glad to have him home.
It is more than that though. We have had such a nice time since he has returned. We even were able to take the kids to the beach yesterday for some fun family time, savoring the last big weekend of the summer. My favorite part of it all was just watching the kids splash in the waves with dad as I inhaled the salty air and felt the sunshine on my body knowing what a lucky woman I am and recognizing wonderful homecomings can be.
Their faces lit up with brilliance and their feet moved jack rabbit fast. Pummeling him with their little selves, the children enveloped daddy with their welcoming arms. Of course, my younger daughter beat the other two to the punch and wrapped her arms and legs around him as if she had not seen him in a year. It was the best feeling in the world to know to watch this reunion, and I know my husband felt the same.
You see, my younger two children have not had the luxury of cutter deployments. So, they are not seasoned like my oldest daughter. She is pretty understanding of the routine, well as much as a kid can be. She knows that anything can happen and tries to go with the flow. She is a trooper for sure. Our younger children, however have only really known or at least are only old enough to remember the recent trips, which are, on average, shorter than stereotypical CG deployments. My younger daughter was born when my husband was assigned to his last cutter, but she was really too young to have any knowledge of what was going on. Now, though, she is fully aware and has expressed that daddy really should not have to leave. Period.
In a strange way, we know that these shorter trips are a blessing because the man in blue does not have to be gone long, but it also gives the kids a little taste of things yet to come (possibly). Who knows where we will end up next, but we are not ruling anything out.
So, he is home. I slept better the other night than I had the whole time he was gone. What is it about that? I know I am not the only one falling asleep with the television on and lying next to a really big pillow in hopes of providing a false sense of comfort. Of course, also waking periodically through the night (after FINALLY falling asleep) to check the phone, the cell phone and every other noise you hear. Oh, boy, am I glad to have him home.
It is more than that though. We have had such a nice time since he has returned. We even were able to take the kids to the beach yesterday for some fun family time, savoring the last big weekend of the summer. My favorite part of it all was just watching the kids splash in the waves with dad as I inhaled the salty air and felt the sunshine on my body knowing what a lucky woman I am and recognizing wonderful homecomings can be.
Sunday, January 11, 2009
"I don't want daddy to leave."
My kids were born into this fluctuating CG life. They really don't know much else. Accept for the fact that awhile back daddy was gone all the time and now he's home more often than not. When discussing the possibility of moving next year with our children, the subject of another cutter came up, not surprisingly. While it would be advantageous for numerous reasons for the man in blue to go back to a cutter, my eldest child was less than thrilled. To be honest, she was devastated.
I was actually surprised by her tears. She knows her daddy travels. She used to be so accustomed to it that when he did come home it threw her schedule completely off and she just as soon would have had it be her and mommy again. Anyway, now that she is getting older and more cognizant of her father's job and how far away he could go and for how long the separation might be--she is troubled by it far more easily.
The little ones, well, they are a tad bit more resilient. They are still in the 'go with the flow' years where they just know that at least one of us will always be home with them at night, after school. Their big sister however is sensitive to this and starting to show signs of separation anxiety and we still have a year before we will even see orders let alone possible PCS.
Perhaps we brought it up too soon.
I was actually surprised by her tears. She knows her daddy travels. She used to be so accustomed to it that when he did come home it threw her schedule completely off and she just as soon would have had it be her and mommy again. Anyway, now that she is getting older and more cognizant of her father's job and how far away he could go and for how long the separation might be--she is troubled by it far more easily.
The little ones, well, they are a tad bit more resilient. They are still in the 'go with the flow' years where they just know that at least one of us will always be home with them at night, after school. Their big sister however is sensitive to this and starting to show signs of separation anxiety and we still have a year before we will even see orders let alone possible PCS.
Perhaps we brought it up too soon.
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Happy New Year!
With each year that passes comes memories to cherish and some to forget. I imagine many Coast Guard families are eagerly looking toward what the new year will bring. Many await orders, advancements and boards while others are thrilled with an increase of BAH and possibly COLA. Some delight about and others frown upon the new uniforms coming down the pike and others are giddy with excitement about possible new rates on the horizon.
Personally, this year has been a joyous one for me. Sure there have been low points, but like any part-time optimist, I like to focus on the highs. Late last year, a friend/colleague and I began discussing a project that could benefit the Coast Guard family community. With some effort, the project developed into something very promising in January 2008 and with the help of some talented spouses the project will become so much more in the months and years to come. We are finding ways to support Coast Guard spouses and their families and are inspired by one another to keep growing. Of course, that project would have been nothing but a blip on the radar screen if it wasn’t for the Waiting for Ships blog.
One Big Coastie Family (aka Waiting for Ships) came to fruition this past February. I cannot express my thanks enough to the amazing contributors to this blog. I appreciate each and every one of you! I have been far too absent in posting since I returned to the daily grind and these ladies have kept this little ship afloat with their anecdotes and messages. Many folks have contacted us over the past months to extend their thanks for our blog and connect with their own experiences and that warms my heart.
As this year comes to a close, I wish you and yours a wonderful and prosperous 2009. I am grateful to have my husband by my side this year as there have been many years that he’s been away at sea on this momentous night. If you are as fortunate, hug your loved one close and if you are not, thank you for keeping the home fires burning. I raise my glass to you!
Personally, this year has been a joyous one for me. Sure there have been low points, but like any part-time optimist, I like to focus on the highs. Late last year, a friend/colleague and I began discussing a project that could benefit the Coast Guard family community. With some effort, the project developed into something very promising in January 2008 and with the help of some talented spouses the project will become so much more in the months and years to come. We are finding ways to support Coast Guard spouses and their families and are inspired by one another to keep growing. Of course, that project would have been nothing but a blip on the radar screen if it wasn’t for the Waiting for Ships blog.
One Big Coastie Family (aka Waiting for Ships) came to fruition this past February. I cannot express my thanks enough to the amazing contributors to this blog. I appreciate each and every one of you! I have been far too absent in posting since I returned to the daily grind and these ladies have kept this little ship afloat with their anecdotes and messages. Many folks have contacted us over the past months to extend their thanks for our blog and connect with their own experiences and that warms my heart.
As this year comes to a close, I wish you and yours a wonderful and prosperous 2009. I am grateful to have my husband by my side this year as there have been many years that he’s been away at sea on this momentous night. If you are as fortunate, hug your loved one close and if you are not, thank you for keeping the home fires burning. I raise my glass to you!
With solemn hearts, we have said fair winds and following seas to many members of this Coast Guard family in 2008. Unexpected tragedies as well as deaths as a result of illness touched many of our lives. The list is long from active and reserve Coasties, to retired Coast Guard personnel to spouses and children. Our sympathies continue to be with the families and friends of all those who have passed on this year.
In closing and in the nautical spirit, I’d like to borrow from the English translation of Scotsman Robert Burn’s poem “Auld Lang Syne”:
We two have paddled in the stream,from morning sun till dine;
But seas between us broad have roaredsince auld lang syne.
Salut!
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Goodness. It's quiet around here.
Well everyone must be busy with the long-weekend for Columbus Day behind us and Halloween coming up soon. Maybe it's the chill in the air, in most places or the foliage that has us distracted. Of course, I know our ladies in the South, Cali and way up North in Alaska are probably enjoying different weather. How goes it in your neck of the woods? Remember, it's still hurricane season, so brush up on the tips posted earlier this season by Amber and Mary on our blog, especially if you are in a hurricane prone area.
I have been swamped with work of all types lately. Rather than bore you with all of that though, I will say I am currently enjoying my husband being home. We are looking at him possibly leaving again soon for a short trip, but that is doable. Some of our contributors right now are still enduring some lengthy separations and others are getting ready for deployment time again.
This time of year can make or break the spirit in terms of deployments. With the holidays upon us, we all want our loved ones to be home for the Big Days. You know where you can gorge yourself on turkey and trim the tree and say a toast at midnight. Still, in this life, we know that there will be times that we cannot always be with our Coasties on those most special days. So, many opt to celebrate in different ways and often on different days throughout the year. We make the most of what time we have and try to understand the needs of the Coast Guard. That's just how we roll. :)
Anyone have a unique holiday tradition story to share? What do you do when your loved one is deployed on a Big Day?
I have been swamped with work of all types lately. Rather than bore you with all of that though, I will say I am currently enjoying my husband being home. We are looking at him possibly leaving again soon for a short trip, but that is doable. Some of our contributors right now are still enduring some lengthy separations and others are getting ready for deployment time again.
This time of year can make or break the spirit in terms of deployments. With the holidays upon us, we all want our loved ones to be home for the Big Days. You know where you can gorge yourself on turkey and trim the tree and say a toast at midnight. Still, in this life, we know that there will be times that we cannot always be with our Coasties on those most special days. So, many opt to celebrate in different ways and often on different days throughout the year. We make the most of what time we have and try to understand the needs of the Coast Guard. That's just how we roll. :)
Anyone have a unique holiday tradition story to share? What do you do when your loved one is deployed on a Big Day?
Sunday, August 10, 2008
*ahem* I've been a bit busy.
Well, my beloved is home again. So, I've been enjoying his company since Friday evening. Of course, I've had to share him with the little ones. I have to say though, the expressions on their faces when Daddy comes home always makes it all worthwhile though.
I kept them awake the other night even though he wouldn't return until after bedtime. (His flight kept getting bumped and he arrived much later than anticipated.) Though, trust me it was worth it. The baby was elated to see him. He's at that age now where he is starting to notice when Daddy is actually gone. He does okay with it, but still misses him nonetheless. The girls, well, they were bouncing off the walls. My oldest has been used to deployments and trips for her whole little life. Still, she has a tendency to miss the man in blue and eve moreso the older she gets. Our middle one, well she goes with the flow. She thinks that when Daddy is not here, he's living somewhere on a ship anyway. :)
On another note, I'm going away on a little trip of my own over the weekend, so Daddy will have all the children to himself for the first time ever. This should prove to be very interesting.
Enjoy these lazy (or rainy) days of summer wherever you are.
Cheers!
I kept them awake the other night even though he wouldn't return until after bedtime. (His flight kept getting bumped and he arrived much later than anticipated.) Though, trust me it was worth it. The baby was elated to see him. He's at that age now where he is starting to notice when Daddy is actually gone. He does okay with it, but still misses him nonetheless. The girls, well, they were bouncing off the walls. My oldest has been used to deployments and trips for her whole little life. Still, she has a tendency to miss the man in blue and eve moreso the older she gets. Our middle one, well she goes with the flow. She thinks that when Daddy is not here, he's living somewhere on a ship anyway. :)
On another note, I'm going away on a little trip of my own over the weekend, so Daddy will have all the children to himself for the first time ever. This should prove to be very interesting.
Enjoy these lazy (or rainy) days of summer wherever you are.
Cheers!
Monday, May 19, 2008
PHOTO CONTEST - PART II; Theme: HOMECOMINGS
Theme: HOMECOMINGSDo you have the ideal shot of a couple reuniting after a deployment? Does your photo of a couple on the pier with locked lips rival the famous V-J Day Times Square Kiss shot (you know the one)? Perhaps it’s a little girl running to her daddy or mom after he/she steps into view in the hangar. The possibilities are endless.
The couple in this photo was taken for the Boston Globe and submitted by our very own "The Flying Fish". She and her husband are reuniting her following his work with Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Thanks for sharing this photo with us.
Photo by Boston Globe (2005)
Requirements:
1) It has to do with a military homecoming;
2) It has to have people visible in the shot; and,
3) It has to have been taken by you in the past five (5) years.
4) The size of the photo should be a minimum of 640x480 pixels, if possible.
Submit photos in jpeg format to justagirlinaport@gmail.com no later than June 5th. Voting will commence June 7th. Only one photo submission per person please.
Questions? Let us know.
Good luck!
Monday, March 10, 2008
Homecomings and the hopeless romantic.
I swear every trip I get my hopes up that he will return early. Despite my being ok with the separation, I can’t help but miss the old lug. If we are fortunate enough to talk on the phone, I find myself listening to the background noise. I ask questions. I fish for information. I’m perpetually optimistic that he will surprise me and come home unexpectedly before his original return date. Still, it never happens. And, each time I voice this to him he says to me, “that’s why I keep the expectations low and don’t surprise you (anymore)”. He’s chided me for reading into things and says it’s my own fault for getting disappointed because he would be honest with me. Yes, I know he’s right.
Well, alright, so I’m the foolish one, but that’s only because years back he did come home early and surprise me. I was 8 months or so pregnant. It was getting late and he had called me to talk. Something seemed funny about the way he was talking, but I thought he was just excited to be speaking to me and that he would be home in a week or so. As we are talking there is a rapping on my door. I was startled and asked him to hang on so I could peer through the peep hole. He was just as astonished as I that someone would be knocking at our door so late at night. He even told me to be careful and not answer the door if I didn’t recognize the person. We didn’t really have friends in the area and our families were nowhere near by. On top of that I wasn’t expecting anyone.
I looked through that peep hole, and I felt my heart about jump out of my chest. We were still on the phone mind you. I vaguely remembering shouting some colorful words at him and telling him how he shouldn’t surprise a pregnant woman like that. Still, I couldn’t get that door open fast enough. Long story short, he did surprise me, and it was wonderful. I remember this fondly. I will say that his original plan was to sneak in the middle of the night and surprise me but my mother had warned him against it and said I’d probably think he was a robber and clobber him with a baseball bat or something. She was probably right.
So, here I sit, hoping and praying that one day he will surprise me like that again. I’m sure to have my hopes dashed, and I imagine there will be disappointment. Nonetheless, as I’ve said before I’m a romantic, and I just can’t help it.
Well, alright, so I’m the foolish one, but that’s only because years back he did come home early and surprise me. I was 8 months or so pregnant. It was getting late and he had called me to talk. Something seemed funny about the way he was talking, but I thought he was just excited to be speaking to me and that he would be home in a week or so. As we are talking there is a rapping on my door. I was startled and asked him to hang on so I could peer through the peep hole. He was just as astonished as I that someone would be knocking at our door so late at night. He even told me to be careful and not answer the door if I didn’t recognize the person. We didn’t really have friends in the area and our families were nowhere near by. On top of that I wasn’t expecting anyone.
I looked through that peep hole, and I felt my heart about jump out of my chest. We were still on the phone mind you. I vaguely remembering shouting some colorful words at him and telling him how he shouldn’t surprise a pregnant woman like that. Still, I couldn’t get that door open fast enough. Long story short, he did surprise me, and it was wonderful. I remember this fondly. I will say that his original plan was to sneak in the middle of the night and surprise me but my mother had warned him against it and said I’d probably think he was a robber and clobber him with a baseball bat or something. She was probably right.
So, here I sit, hoping and praying that one day he will surprise me like that again. I’m sure to have my hopes dashed, and I imagine there will be disappointment. Nonetheless, as I’ve said before I’m a romantic, and I just can’t help it.
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Just a Girl In a Port
That’s me--well, sort of. I’m the girl that stole a sailor’s heart. More than that, I’m the girl he proposed to and married. He was out drinking with some friends the evening we met. Astonishing, isn’t it? Well, as luck would have it, I happened upon that same venue. Notice how it changed to a venue.
There was some science that brought us together. Perhaps it wasn’t science, but rather just meddling mutual friends who wanted to bring us two crazy kids together. Well, we met. We smiled. We agreed to keep in touch, and he gave me his number (leaving the ball in my court). Fast forward two weeks, I had just returned home from a spur-of-the-moment solo vacation to San Diego (ah, those were the days). I decided to give him a call and see what he was doing the next weekend.
He answers his cell and the background is abuzz with music and voices. It turned out he was having some drinks with some old shipmates that just pulled into port. He apologizes, takes my number and says he’ll call me back the following day. He did and we talked on the phone for hours—literally. It was all very sweet, new relationship kind of chat. Our first date was to be that weekend. The afternoon before our first date, he sent me a single red rose at work. Cliché? I didn’t care. I was smitten at this gesture, and I will always remember this fondly.
Flo’s post about her boyfriend’s homecoming reminded me of this. It’s the littlest moments of happiness that can give you strength in riding out the ebbs and flows of being a military spouse.
There was some science that brought us together. Perhaps it wasn’t science, but rather just meddling mutual friends who wanted to bring us two crazy kids together. Well, we met. We smiled. We agreed to keep in touch, and he gave me his number (leaving the ball in my court). Fast forward two weeks, I had just returned home from a spur-of-the-moment solo vacation to San Diego (ah, those were the days). I decided to give him a call and see what he was doing the next weekend.
He answers his cell and the background is abuzz with music and voices. It turned out he was having some drinks with some old shipmates that just pulled into port. He apologizes, takes my number and says he’ll call me back the following day. He did and we talked on the phone for hours—literally. It was all very sweet, new relationship kind of chat. Our first date was to be that weekend. The afternoon before our first date, he sent me a single red rose at work. Cliché? I didn’t care. I was smitten at this gesture, and I will always remember this fondly.
Flo’s post about her boyfriend’s homecoming reminded me of this. It’s the littlest moments of happiness that can give you strength in riding out the ebbs and flows of being a military spouse.
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