Mommy Over Miles

So I’m leaving for Afghanistan of all places.  Never in my life did I ever think that I’d be leaving my kids for six months to start such an adventure. 

I guess to make one understand, I should go back a little bit.

It started a little under a year ago, or maybe it actually started 14 years ago when I met my husband.  He was in the Navy reserves, and later  transferred over to Army full-time.  From that moment on I became a military wife.  His first tour was in 1998, his homecoming was nothing short of spectacular.  All the troops filing off the bus and marching into the building together.  It gives one a sense of pride.  Since becoming a military wife, I’ve endured 4 UN and NATO tours, one of which was to the very place that I’ll soon be heading off to myself.  It’s not only the overseas missions though, that give you that sense of pride, it’s what you see our soldiers doing right here in our own backyard.  In 1997, my husband has the pleasure of going to Manitoba to help clean up the from the floods.  I still have a newspaper article framed with him and some kids in front of a house on a military vehicle.  Our soldiers are doing things like that all the time. 

Nearly since the beginning of our relationship I’ve been more involved with the military community then just being a wife.  I’ve always either volunteered or worked on each of the three bases that we’ve been to.  There’s something to do with being part of the military community and family and helping, help the transition we go through at any given point. 

Fast forward to approximately ten months ago.  I saw an add for a retail assistant in Afghanistan, Supporting Our Troops.  At first I didn’t apply, but when it came up again a couple months later, something told me to go for it.  It was actually a few more months before I’d heard anything back, and after the first interview I thought for sure that I hadn’t been selected to go through with the training.  I was wrong though, and with that started a whole new set of wheels in motions. 

Our training in Kingston was one of kind, and it was a change for me, the first time I’d left both the kids alone with dad.  A few months prior dad had been left alone with the 4 year old while I attended a one week camp with our 11 year old.  During that week, I thought nothing of it.  They were after all just down the street from me, literally a 10 minute drive.  Kingston was a whirlwind of emotions, but this was my time to shine, and only when times got rough did I want to come home back to the familiar.  I had to keep telling myself that this was what I was meant to be doing and if I quit, I’d never forgive myself.  I was searching for more, this wasn’t just about supporting our troops, it wasn’t only about the money, it was about being independent, traveling, and doing something out of the ordinary.  I was tired of just being a “mom” and a “wife”.  I wanted something for me, something more that I could be proud of, I wanted to say that I did something with my life.

It’s obvious that the training in Kingston went well, cause here I am, days before I’m suppose to leave writing this.  I’m full of anticipation, excitement, and fear.  This isn’t a one week camp, or two weeks of intense training. This is six months.  The last six months before my little guy goes to school, the last six months of baby cuddles that I can get.  I wonder if he’ll still want to cuddle me the way he does now, when I get home.  Time will only tell if all the positives that come with the job will outweigh the moments that I will surely miss while away.

This entry was posted on Sunday, February 24th, 2008 at 11:18 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.