Home at Last!

Tuesday morning at 2:00 am I woke to a phone call from my husband. He was in Ireland, on his way home. I didn't get back to sleep after that phone call; I was too busy tossing and turning with the knot in my stomach growing bigger and bigger. I made sure to keep busy all day long. Mike was predicted to arrive at 5:45 pm which meant a LONG day for me. I vacuumed my car, cleaned my car, got an oil change in my car, went grocery shopping, prepared food, and when I was finished with all of these tasks it was time to take a shower and get ready.

I followed another military wife on base to the flight terminal where the plane would be landing and was shocked when I walked into the building! There were people... hundreds of people, metal detectors, refreshments. The place was abuzz with excitement. We all stood in this large room for about 15 minutes before the doors opened and they allowed us to walk out onto the runway. Outside, there was a Marine Corps band playing patriotic tunes. People were waving American flags and Welcome Home signs.. news cameras were flashing their bright lights in people's faces, and we watched.. and waited.. for the plane to make its appearance on the scene. I saw a girl about 12 holding a sign that said "Welcome Home, Dad, you're my HERO" -- which brought a momentary wave of the possibility of breaking down into tears -- but I managed to quickly recover. There was no time to be sentimental; I was too busy watching for that damn plane!!!

When the plane finally made its appearance onto the scene, it was as if we had just spotted Superman flying in the sky. People yelled, "There it is!!" and everyone let out a loud cheer! The plane opened its doors and Marines started to pile out. I watched anxiously as I noticed one face after another that I did not recognize. Finally, I saw some of my friends' husbands walking all together and I yelled to them that there were their husbands.. and off they ran to greet them. Meanwhile, I still waited, searching each face. As each moment passed without success, I began to become a little unsure of myself, "What if I didn't recognize him?" And then, there he was. Was there anything about him that took me by surprise? Yes. His walk. I had forgotten that he moved in a way that was truly unique to only him.

It wasn't exactly how I had imagined it. I had to push through the people to get to him.. it seemed like forever after I spotted him before I was actually next to him. We didn't say anything; we just hugged, and then kissed. and then hugged again. When we finally made it back to the car, it was as if someone did a huge rewind in my life and we were back right where we started seven months ago. It's strange how seven months of my life that at times seemed so neverending and heartwrenching could be so easily forgotten. I guess it's kind of like how a mother feels after childbirth. Childbirth is painful and difficult, but when the mother sees her baby all thoughts of pain are washed away and all she sees is her beautiful baby. That's how it was with me. All that crap that went on over those seven months, all the tears that I shed, all those moments of heartache and loneliness were gone. erased. forgotten. And what was left was my husband and me driving home in our Jeep talking, laughing. Completely in sinc, completely comfortable, completely happy. :)