I met up with my fabulous friend, Annie, for some coffee on post. We didn't get to chat long because she and her hubby had things to do, but it was a good chat and I'm so glad I got to see her. This will be the last time I'll see her for who-knows-how-long. She's PCSing to Italy with her hubby and they're leaving today.
It's been a heartbreaking process for her because Hawaii is what she considers home. I think that's only part of the heartbreak for her, though, because once they get to Italy their days are numbered. He's deploying...again. If you remember, we met last year while both of our hubbies were deployed. The unit he's going to is deploying soon after they arrive. I hurt for her because I know how that is. Joe deployed when we'd been in Hawaii for less than 2 months. I wasn't in a different country, but given the amount of people I knew I might as well have been.
I hate that she's going through this and I really hate that I have to finish out our "tour" here without her. We didn't spend just a whole lot of time together once our husbands came home, but I figure that's about normal. We had some great times together while our husbands were gone, and even when they came home. We spent July 4th, my birthday, Labor Day and Thanksgiving together. She {and her hubby} became family.
And yesterday I was forced to say goodbye to my deployment sister... It's hard saying goodbye to family, even the ones you adopt. I still don't know how I made it through the day without crying.
Several of the friends I made during the deployment are leaving soon, so I know this is just the first of many to come. I dread all of them and can only hope that God will send me some more friends and help me to keep in close touch with the ones who are leaving.
