Deployment diaries....

Since this is now my 4th deployment to live through, I thought that I would share some emotions, thoughts, and opinions on deployment from time to time. Today's first edition is about sacrifice.....

I appreciate family and friends that thank me for my sacrifice but truth be known, I feel like I sacrifice very little compared with what Ben has to. I stay in our home with our things and with our children. I have creature comforts. I don't fear for my life on a daily basis (although driving in California, sometimes causes me to fear for it a few hours a day!)

 I don't have to miss all the everyday things that occur daily that some folks take for granted.

This is where Ben is spending his time until he gets to his final destination.....

I don't have to sleep with the lights on so they can do inspections whenever they need to, I don't have to listen to many men snoring, I am not sleeping on what looks like a very uncomfortable mattress. And most importantly, I kissed and hugged all 3 kiddos good-night.

I didn't have to hear about our kids day through email and texts or see through pictures their first experiences in karate.

Now I'm not saying that spouses do not also serve, because that is not the case. (I believe we have our own sacrifices and cross to bear.)

It is my job to make sure everything goes as smoothly as possible here on the home front so Ben doesn't have to worry about us. I just feel that the service members bear a much more difficult sacrifice than I could ever fathom or even want to imagine.

(Disclaimer....I am not a writer by nature. I am trying to get my jumbled thoughts down on paper for our family journal and to express my own opinions so they are not trapped in my head.)