For My Veterans

When 9/11 happened H and I had been married all of three days.  The 11th was his first day at work and he came home late that night to pack up his gear, just in case.  I knew what I had signed up for as a military wife, but so soon?  I could not fathom what was running through his mind at that point.When H went to Iraq we didn't know when he would come home or if he even would come home.  It was just us in a dusty, desert parking lot hugging good-bye with the words, "Ok. So... I'll see you. Whenever."  Not exactly words a young wife wants to hear.  We had been through long separations before.  Most of our dating relationship was spent apart.  He came home six months later. We were both exceptionally lucky.  It was hard for both of us to deal … [Read more...]

Veterans Day

On February 15, 2003 I dropped H off in a parking lot. I fiddled with the necklace he had given me for Christmas only a few months before as I tried to figure out what to say to him. He stood before me, we hugged and kissed one last time and he said, "OK, so I will see you....whenever..." He smiled and I smiled but they were worried, nervous smiles. We knew that we had no idea when or if he would ever come home. Our future was a giant question mark.Over the next six months I lived on a separate plane of existence. War was declared. Letters trickled in out of order. I lived for a dusty envelope to arrive in my mailbox. Flowers arrived for my birthday through H's best friend. I chuckle now that the florist sent yellow roses tied with a red, white and blue flag ribbon. At the time I was not … [Read more...]