Well, another week has come and gone, and hopefully next week will be better then last. 2 down, too many more to go. We survived the sleepover (barely), and even though we were all exhausted, the kids had a great day. We went to our friend's for dinner, and it was so nice to spend a few hours with another adult. Her husband left the same day as Dan (and they are actually roommates, temporarily)She had a week very similar to mine, and the old saying misery loves company is so true. Actually, it was nice to be with someone who is going through the same thing as I am. She definitely knows how lonely it is, and how incredibly frustrating it can be by times. I know I would be lost without her, and vice verse.
The first flights of the guys coming home have arrived. 45 families breathed a huge sigh of relief, and can now begin the process of getting to know each other all over again. But as happy as I am for them, I can't help but feel a tad jealous as it will be months before I can breathe that sigh of relief. There was a rocket attack on the airfield in Kandahar today. One NATO soldier was injured, he was not Canadian, but he could have been. Dan wasn't at the base today, but our friends were, and it could have been any one of them. This was just the first incident we've heard about since Dan left, and I know there will be many more. We all try not to worry, but the "what ifs" are always there. But the what ifs get tucked away for another time, another place, and the brave face gets put on. The last thing the kids need is to see me worry. They worry enough as it is. They miss their dad so much. They try so hard to understand why he's gone, but really, they just want him to come home. I know they are scared, they know where he is, and they know kids who have lost a parent. I reassure them that he is very careful and wears all of his protective equipment. Even still, Elizabeth spent the weekend making "Keep My Daddy Safe" pictures with yellow ribbons on either side. I'm sure there will be many more pictures like these ones made in the coming months.
"Bitter are the tears of a child: Sweeten them. Deep are the thoughts of a child: Quiet them. Sharp is the grief of a child: Take it from him. Soft is the heart of a child: Do not harden it."~~Pamela Glennconner
The first flights of the guys coming home have arrived. 45 families breathed a huge sigh of relief, and can now begin the process of getting to know each other all over again. But as happy as I am for them, I can't help but feel a tad jealous as it will be months before I can breathe that sigh of relief. There was a rocket attack on the airfield in Kandahar today. One NATO soldier was injured, he was not Canadian, but he could have been. Dan wasn't at the base today, but our friends were, and it could have been any one of them. This was just the first incident we've heard about since Dan left, and I know there will be many more. We all try not to worry, but the "what ifs" are always there. But the what ifs get tucked away for another time, another place, and the brave face gets put on. The last thing the kids need is to see me worry. They worry enough as it is. They miss their dad so much. They try so hard to understand why he's gone, but really, they just want him to come home. I know they are scared, they know where he is, and they know kids who have lost a parent. I reassure them that he is very careful and wears all of his protective equipment. Even still, Elizabeth spent the weekend making "Keep My Daddy Safe" pictures with yellow ribbons on either side. I'm sure there will be many more pictures like these ones made in the coming months.
"Bitter are the tears of a child: Sweeten them. Deep are the thoughts of a child: Quiet them. Sharp is the grief of a child: Take it from him. Soft is the heart of a child: Do not harden it."~~Pamela Glennconner
1 comment:
Monnie,we watch the news with trepidation too. Such an unpredictable place. I think it's great that the children can talk about their worries about their Daddy though, and that Elizabeth can make pictures with yellow ribbons around them. For them, this is an outlet. For you, writing it all down and sharing may not make the time pass any more quickly but will, I am sure, in some small way, help you manage as well.
I might add that having three additional boys over for the night was brave.
"The term sleepover in no way prepares the unsuspecting parent for the event" - Aunt Mary
Post a Comment