The Dreadful Goodbye
By Jennifer • Oct 11th, 2009 • Category: Featured, RelationshipsSaying goodbye to my husband before he leaves is probably the hardest moment of deployment for me. I drive to the base with an upset stomach and a lump in my throat choking back the tears.
Nothing can really make it better, but one of Mike’s former captions did share some good advice when Mike was leaving for his 2nd deployment. He said when he has to leave him and his wife agreed to not let the goodbye drag on. She simply drops him off and heads home.
We have found this to be the best approach. It doesn’t help Mike if I’m sticking around because he usually is coordinating the movement and his mind is focused on keeping everything on schedule. For me it just makes saying goodbye worse because the lump in my throat just continues to grow bigger.
So while it is never easy, at least we know what works best for us and what approach we prefer without hurting each others feelings.
Jennifer is in the mist of Mike's 6th deployment. This is proving to be the hardest deployment of them all.
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I was really torn up, and I know that made his leaving more difficult on this, his first deployment. I tried to be strong but I broke down before he left, and he called me at the airport, and then the next airport, which only made my getting used to the pain of not seeing him for a year a little worse(we were both a little clingy.) from 3 months out, it seems like a long time before I see him again, but from 3 months in, I have come a long way. I am quite proud of myself. Hopefully, this deployment will give me a chance to become more independent, and I will be a stronger woman when he returns home.