A Very Sad Day...

For 10 weeks, Dan has been in Afghanistan, and every morning, I hold my breath as I read the news, knowing that something terrible could happen at any time. Today was the day it did. I'm sure most of you have heard by now the tragic news of the deaths of six Canadian Soldiers in Afghanistan. Today has been an extremely difficult day for all of us who are a part of the military family. I saw the news this afternoon online, and though I knew if I was reading it on the news, Dan was safe, my heart still stopped. And as a I breathed a sigh of relief it was not my husband, I also knew someone else was crying in anguish at the loss of their husband, son, or brother. As military spouses, we all know the risks involved in this deployment. But knowing the risk, does in no way prepare you for the reality of a tragedy like this. There are no words to describe the feeling of knowing it could have been your husband. After I wiped away a few tears, I then had to call our children in and tell them the news. They had been playing with their friends outside most of the day, and I did not want them to hear about this at the park. I also wanted to prepare them that it could involve their friends, and they would be talking about it at school on Tuesday. I reassured them that their Daddy was safe, but they were understandably upset.

I, like so many others, was anxious all afternoon. Thankfully, Dan's parents were still here, and I was so glad of their support. And I know they were glad to be here. Even though I knew Dan was okay, I was not sure if any of our friends or Dan's soldiers were involved. As devastating as this tragedy is, it would be even more so for Dan if he had lost any of his soldiers. Luckily, this was not the case. Our buddy Stu got the news around supper time, and Arlene called me right away to let me know all of the soldiers involved were from Gagetown. I felt guilty because I was relieved they were not from our base, but I also know they could still be people we know. Our military community is small, and if we didn't know the soldiers directly, odds are we know someone who did. We lived in Gagetown for 6 years, Katherine was born there, and we still have good friends there. This loss will hit the town of Oromocto hard. The majority of the population there, like here, is military or ex military. They will be devastated by this news, but they will rally together to support one another. It is what we do in our military family.

Fortunately, the first two months of Dan's deployment have been quiet. Too quiet perhaps. Sometimes, silence is deafening. I think over the last two months, we may have been lulled into a false sense of security, that maybe we would get lucky this rotation, and every one would come home safe and sound. Today's events are a tragic reminder there is no security. There are no guarantees. Every time the soldiers leave the base, there is always a chance something bad will happen, and we must brace ourselves for the worst, but pray for the best. That is all we can do as spouses and families.

"Our hearts ache for them and their families. And I know as we gather here on Easter Sunday, our thoughts and prayers are with them. Today's events once more remind us of the sacrifices that our men and women in uniform continue to make against those who threaten freedom, democracy and human rights."~~Prime Minister Harper