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It's Like Being Deployed.....Kind of


Every month thousands of husbands and wives say goodbye to each other to do what needs to be done – serve their country. Children hug their mother or father one last time as they are deployed. Thank God neither Tony nor I are heading off to war. We are the fortunate ones. Our lives are not in danger. We will be able to see each other on a regular basis. Even so, we are choosing to look at our situation as a ‘deployment’ of sorts. Our separation is a temporary one.

As those couples have made an informed decision about joining the military, Tony and I took a long time before we made a choice about what we need to do to pay our bills. We have always said we would rather be happy in our jobs than make a lot of money. However, after doing that for the last 17 years, we are done living paycheck to paycheck. We are worth more than that - as is our family.  It is time for us to find both jobs we love and a salary we deserve so that we can support our family.

Our decision was not made lightly.  It comes at a cost. A couple pieces of me are missing. It is not easy being without Tony and Sana. Living in someone else’s home. Not being there with Sana when she says goodbye to her dog for the last time. Knowing they are packing up the house and I cannot help. Feeling helpless being so far away. Yet, within all the loneliness and helplessness is hope and the reminder that we made this decision together. Husband and wife. Doing what needs to be done. Where that job will be for me and where it will take me, I do not know. What I do know is that I am very much in love with my husband and that we will make this work.

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