One year ago I started this blog to record/share the journey of a mom with a son who had deployed. I had no idea what to expect from his deployment and what uncharted territory it would take me into. I knew I was fortunate that his was only for six months and not the twelve or eighteen that many military are ordered to complete. And, I had been told that Kuwait wasn’t really considered “dangerous,” especially when compared with Iraq and Afghanistan. But, none of that seemed to matter too much when it was MY son deploying to the other side of the world.
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| Standing guard at the main gate, Kuwait, 2010 |
It seemed so monumental when he deployed and on that day there was a heavy somberness of the unknown. We had no idea just how safe he would or would not be in Kuwait, regardless of what people told us. There was a growing unrest between Iran and Israel because of the nuclear power plant Iran was building, just 100 miles across the Gulf of Oman, and we were concerned what would happen if the situation escalated. When he first arrived and told us that he stood guard at the front gate, our thoughts raced to the suicide bombers who drove trucks of explosives through military bases’ front gates and we prayed that much more for his safety. When he told us of working in “the pit” looking for bombs that might have been planted underneath our own military trucks, I never dreamed that “the bad guys” would think or ever try to do something like that and then to come to terms with my son finding one! Those first few days and weeks truly opened our eyes to the world of “deployment.”
Now, a year later as I think back to those first few weeks, I realize just how much of a learning experience it was for all of us. TJ gained invaluable knowledge and experience for his military future. We grew stronger as we leaned on the Lord, trusting Him to keep TJ safe. And as TJ fell into his new pattern and the routines of his job in Kuwait, we, too, found that our lives settled back into their routines and it became just another part of our lives.
One year later as I write to recognize the “anniversary” of the month when TJ deployed, knowing that I didn’t even understand why I was blogging about it, I am thankful that I did record this journey. I am thankful to know my feelings, thoughts, and the experiences have been saved. My husband believes that somewhere down the road these blogs will serve a purpose, if only to become a unique scrapbook of this phase in our lives.
So, where does this blog go from here? I have no idea. Just as when I started it I didn’t know what it would evolve into; I’m just as unsure now of its future. What I do know is that I’ve had over 1000 views during this year! I don’t think I know that many people, so, many of you who have visited; we’ve never met and probably never will. I feel honored that even though you don’t know me, our family, or TJ, you have still taken the time to read our story.
This also seems to be a fitting time to say to each and every one of you who have “stopped by” or maybe faithfully followed me/us on this journey – thank you. Thank you for caring enough to share in our family’s “deployment” journey. Thank you for showing your support of our son, and our nation’s military family. To those who have left me comments, thank you for your words of encouragement and support. But most of all, thank you for praying with us for TJ’s safety and for our family as we walked the path of deployment.
