The Long Wait

Good morning and welcome to Friday Feelings. All month, we’ve been talking about military families and the impact having a parent/spouse in the service has on them. Today, we’re looking at the long wait. Every family member knows what this is and what it means. Your service member is deployed. You have no idea when they’re coming back, even though you might have a tentative return date.
Deployments are scheduled to cover the needs of the military. There are resources for families but those, while good, do nothing to overcome the ache of loneliness. You may have a calendar with important dates circled on it. Some of those will be for family celebrations. At least one will be the date your loved one will return.
In between the departure date and the return date, there are a lot of activities. You’re determined not to succumb to the fear eating away at your calm. Yet, every night, you lose yourself in the “what if?” syndrome. You can’t sleep. You listen for the phone to ring, a car to stop outside, a child to cry out in the night needing you.
Stop.
That’s right. I just told you to stop. Luckily, I wasn’t caught in this type of waiting once I took my discharge, but I can only imagine how difficult it was. Because, despite being active duty, I too had to go through those long, lonely night, the days without end when I was both mother and father to the children who wanted Daddy home, and never knowing if something might happen. That’s why I’m telling you to stop thinking about those things now.
Here’s what you can do to make the time go faster. Don’t look at the clock whenever you have a moment. Clean like you’re about to be inspected by the housing officer tomorrow. Take your kids on long walks, go to the playground with them, enjoy your time with them. Cook them special meals, even try out things you want to make for your spouse but aren’t sure how it’ll turn out.
You should also see if there’s a spouse’s club on your base, where you can talk to others going through your situation. That’s one of their main purposes. Don’t do this alone. You have others ready to help you.


About K.C. Sprayberry
Living a dream she’s had since she first discovered the magic of books. K.C. Sprayberry traveled the U.S. and Europe before finally settling in the mountains of Northwest Georgia. She’s been married to her soulmate for nearly a quarter of a century and they enjoy spoiling their grandchildren along with many other activities.
A multi-genre author, K.C. Sprayberry is always on the hunt for new stories. Inspiration strikes at the weirdest times and drives her to grab notebook and pen to jot down her ideas. Those close to her swear nothing or no one is safe if she’s smiling gently in a corner and watching those in the same room interact. Her observations have often given her ideas for her next story, set not only in the South but wherever the characters demand they settle.

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