My husband has been home from his third deployment for six months now. In the past this usually would mean that we were getting ready for our next deployment. He was home for 365 days between deployment one and two. And was home for 15 months between deployment two and three. However, his unit deployed earlier than that so I felt like we were already in the “getting ready for deployment mode” by this point as well. This time, the next deployment seems pretty far away. At least from my point of view. The unit is not in serious training mode, we aren’t having FRG meetings about what to expect, we aren’t being asked to work out the details that you need to work out before someone deploys. He has been home for six whole months and we are not in “pre-deployment” mode. And that is amazing to me.
It is a weird feeling, but I like it. I like that the next deployment is far enough away that we can enjoy this time together. I like that I am not forced to think about the next deployment so soon. I am glad that when I look at my little boys I don’t think that they will be having to say goodbye to Daddy so soon.
I also catch myself. It is different when they are home and you aren’t planning for a deployment. They go to work, they come home and for a short period of time life is almost like it was before he joined. There will be schools and trainings ahead. There will be nights apart. But in the near future I do not have to ready myself for a long deployment. I do worry that this time together will go by very quickly. That before we know it I will be going to FRG meetings about how to prepare for a deployment, that he will be packing his deployment bags again and that we will all have to get ready to say goodbye. For now I am going to enjoy this time together. I am going to cherish it because it feels amazing that we get to feel more like a normal family for a little bit longer than we have in the past.
