Dearest Lazy Susan—
First of all, I’m terribly sorry for the unfortunate name that has been so unfairly bestowed upon you. If I had it my way, I would have called you Hardworking Susan or Ever-Evolving Susan or Lady Susan of Spinnington. Nevertheless, I would like to express my sincere gratitude for your existence and dedication to organization during this month of love and appreciation for those who hold a special place in our hearts.
Like many spouses of military servicemen and women, I get caught up in all the reasons why it is not fun to be a military spouse. From deployments, having to spend thousands on hidden costs like the new pinks and greens uniforms and PCS season where essentially everything you own is scooped up into a giant washing machine. And, like a washing machine, everything gets tumbled around, sometimes things are destroyed, and sometimes things are lost (like that one sock).
But while out for a run the other morning at our new duty station, Fort Lee in Virginia, I had time to think about the positive changes military life has brought to me.
When I began this three-piece series regarding my time in Germany, I immediately struggled with what I knew would be a conundrum in the final piece. But here’s the surprising lesson I learned stationed in Germany.
Here we are again, about to move and start a new chapter. At five and a half years, this has been the longest we have ever lived in one location.
As I near the end of my time living in Germany while my wife serves in the United States Army, this is Part II of a three-part series, examining my thoughts and feelings as I prepare to head back to America and leave Germany behind. Part I examined what I will not miss about Germany and can be found here. Part II, below, examines what I will miss about Germany. Part III examines what I’ve learned during my time in Germany.
Living in Alaska has been an amazing experience for me, but soon it will be time to say goodbye. If I’m being honest, I am heartbroken. I never imagined that I’d love living here, but I do, because Alaska is breathtakingly beautiful, even at -20 degrees in the dead of winter.
My husband and I love watching shows and movies. I remember this being one of the things we even discussed in pre-martial sessions—how we liked uncovering the “story” together. But the longer we’re together, we also notice and poke fun at each other for little habits, and eventually, our habits overlap.
Many moves ago, my husband, our infant daughter, and I moved back to the United States after an overseas posting. It was not my choice, and I was not happy. I went into it with my arms crossed and my eyes closed.
At night I dreamed about my old house, my old neighborhood, and the good friends I left behind. I emailed my “old” friends every week. When I met someone in my new community, I couldn’t help but tell them all about the great life I had before.
My wife Jules, myself, and our three children Hunter (12), Eva (10), and Acadia (8) were scheduled to be stationed in Germany for three years, and the way my wife’s Army career was looking, it was possible we could squeeze in a fourth year. Then the military does what it always does, and our world was turned upside down. Jules was selected for a position at Fort Lee in Virginia and our three or four years living and traveling in Europe was cut short to two.
How do I help the children cope with learning that, at 18 months and in six more months, they will once again have to pick up their lives and move? How do I cope with picking up my life and moving at the two-year mark?
Mission: Milspouse is a
501(c)3 nonprofit organization.
EIN Number: 88-1604492
hello@missionmilspouse.org
P.O. Box 641341
El Paso, TX 79904