Dear Deployment: Respectfully, My Heart
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Dear Deployment,
So you are headed here… how do you expect me to react to your news?
I want to believe that your intentions are noble, but I fear your resources are misused. My husband is a soldier, and I respect how seriously he takes your mission. He risks everything to be with you; he thrives in your company. However, you should know that the time he spends with you is not for your sake, but for mine. His heart will always be here with his family, despite the battle you might cause in his spirit.
I knew you would return, but once again you are ahead of schedule. I am not sure if I have recovered from your last visit. I feel like I should know you so well by now, but you always bring new baggage to unpack. I am worried that you will surprise me with something new, something I don’t know how to prepare for.
Maybe you will want to reminisce about past visits? Well, I’d rather leave them in the past and not relive them.
I have managed to keep myself distanced from you in the past, for better or for worse. I do not trust you, and I am tired of being isolated and misunderstood because of you. This visit I will be paying attention… not only for my own sake, but also because I am determined to understand my community and to protect them from the lies you have been spreading, the rumors, the fear, and the anxiety.
My neighbors know you as well, sometimes better than I do. Matter of fact, my neighbors know you better than they know me. That doesn’t mean any of us truly know what to expect from you. You are too unpredictable. In preparation for your return, I am inviting my neighbors to join me in support of each other. I know you have something more to teach me than independence.
You bring out the best and the worst in most of us. Much like your exhausting cousin TDY, you build our character through trials. I cannot say I hate you because you are part of my story. You are part of my lessons of love, and I will find new ways to love while you are here.
I am planning seriously for your arrival even though I know you might cancel anytime. I will do whatever I can while you are here, but I have to admit that your departure will be marked with celebration.
Respectfully,
My Heart
Tia Sunshine has been on the move for over 15 years, each year trying to reach out and understand the community around her. Tia believes that we can each make a positive impact in our communities through meaningful large and small group interactions as well as honest one on one friendships.
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