I’ve been gone for 10 days – and stepped out of my blogging/facebook/email life for most of that time. Taking a break from my connections was interesting! No, I didn’t go cold turkey, I had my blackberry! But very little blogging, and very little Facebook posting. I wondered if anyone noticed, but I did get a few friends asking if I was alright.
Oh, I was more than alright. I flew out west to pick up the best grand daughter in the world and fly with her to my parent’s house in Florida – my dad turned 90! Flights with a 5 year old are interesting, especially when she says I don’t want to fly anymore – sweetie, we are over Kansas right now and can’t get out. Spending time with them, and afterwards spending time decorating her new room with butterflies and pink – was wonderful! I need to thank the other grandma, Deb, for letting me monopolize her for 10 days, and to the wonderful boxing trainer for coming in to train our granddaughter so I could film it for everyone.
But I realized how much I depend on you all. With the deployment beginning, with Chief away training preparatory to heading downrange, I know that you are going to be my company, my shoulders to lean on and the ones who will make me laugh, make me think, keep me on my toes and able to relax at the same time. My new hobbies and my business will keep me busy. BUT – and this is important – I also realized how much of my life is online, is dependent on the “interwebz” and those who hang out here with me. That was reinforced this week when one of my “imaginary friends” as Chief calls my online buddies came and stayed for a couple of days. We sat and talked, we’ve known each other online for years, but only met physically a few months ago. We speak the same language, we don’t have to explain much to each other (except to translate Navy to Army speak!)
We speak the same language, we understand the stages of deployment and reintegration…we understand how we feel and how the other spouse is coping, we reach out to each other, give a shoulder and an ear to each other.
Thanks for being here, for being there; thank you for supporting and comforting me and others.
KESF
