Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Been there

Her face registered disbelief and shock. She’d just gotten THE NEWS. The kind of news, that makes your heart stand still as your world suddenly shifts. It’s the kind of news that’s like a train jumping to another track with stopping or slowing down.

While doing the weekend warrior thing this past weekend, a woman in my Navy reserve unit found out she is deploying to Afghanistan this fall. I looked at her face and thought, “That’s what my face must have looked like when I got the news.” I remember hanging up the phone that day in October 2007 and feeling my world move in an entirely unplanned direction. I remember feeling like I was looking at myself and not believing that it really was me. It couldn’t be me who was suddenly headed for Afghanistan.

Oh, my heart goes out her. I can imagine only too well what she is feeling. When I saw the hint of tears starting to well up, I just had to give her a hug. I know the changes that are coming, the mind set you have to find and the inner reserves you have to dig so incredibly deep to find. I’ve been there.

Please keep SR and her family in your prayers. Keep all of our service members in your prayers. They need all of the faith they can get.




Me, in Afghanistan last year. Nope, it's not named after me, it's just a coincidence.

3 comments:

Globe Trecker said...

Oh, I remember when you first got the news! It's amazing, really, how fast life changes. I bet you will be a great support to her in the upcoming days.

Missing talking to you. Down under has the craziest time zones that we must overcome!

jen91 said...

~ I think patriotism is like charity -- it begins at home. ~ Henry James

christine said...

Jen 91-Awesome quote thanks!