During the past few weeks, Fort Carson has been busy welcoming soldiers from the 3rd ACR home from their 2nd year-long deployment in Iraq. I am so excited for these families! My best friend Katie will be welcoming her husband home this weekend (FINALLY!! -- Yeah Katie!), and many of my students have parents coming back also. I was going to save this post until right before I welcomed Jon home for the second time, but in light of all of these happy reunions, I thought now would be a good time to reminisce about my first welcome home ceremony!
I remember it like it was yesterday. The timing of Jon's return home couldn't have been better! He arrived on a Friday night -- my last day of work before Spring Break began! I am so thankful that I had to work all of that day. I would have been a mess otherwise! We only had a half-day with our students and I can remember sitting outside and talking to my friends from work while we waited for them to get on the bus to go home. Each of my friends gave a little bit of advice and helped to calm my nerves! During his first time over there, Jon wasn't able to leave for R and R, so I literally hadn't set eyes on him for a year!!
I'd had my dress laid out for days and my poster ready to go. My "Bachelor" friends (the women I watched "The Bachelor" each week with) gathered at Katie's house for a glass of wine, then drove with me to the special events center on post (it's basically just a big gym). They came for a few reasons I think -- to support me, to experience a welcome home ceremony, and to take pictures!!
We arrived around 6:00, since we heard that the soldiers would be coming around 7:00. I was meeting another Army wife there, Lana, whose husband was also arriving home. However, once we arrived, we were informed that the men wouldn't be coming until closer to 9:00. We had prime seats, and didn't want to give them up, so we decided to stay and made the time pass by reading the latest issues of People Magazine and US Weekly. I think I must have gone to the bathroom to check my hair at least 13 times in those three hours! It felt like an eternity!! The only other time I have felt so anxious was during the three hours before I walked down the aisle at my wedding!
While we waited, we continued to get updates on where the guys were -- landing at the nearby air force base, on their way to Fort Carson, inside the gates, etc... Finally, we were informed that the guys were waiting just outside the doors!! In the meantime, Jon and the other soldiers were being told not to expect much of a welcome home (boy were they surprised!!!).
What seemed like hours later, the doors of the gym opened just as Toby Kieth's "Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue" began playing. The jam-packed special events center went CRAZY!!! Actually, that is a total understatement.
I can't even give justice to the feelings that I had while the guys paraded into the gym. I have NEVER before experienced such an intense sense of pride or love. These feelings were completely overwhelming -- the best I've ever experienced! I held up my sign, screaming my lungs out, while tears streamed down my face. My Jonny Angel was finally home!
Or was he??? All of those soldiers looked identical in their DCUs and big kevlars (their helmets)! For the life of me, I couldn't find Jon! After the national anthem and a few words from various commanders, the men were dismissed and families literally poured out from the stands! I still couldn't find my Jon!! Luckily, he had spotted me right off the bat, so he was able to find me!
My eyes are open just to make sure I'm not dreaming!!
All I can remember from that moment is how he looked just the same as always. He felt and smelled the same as always. This really was my husband!! After lots of hugs and kisses, we left the gym and made our way home. I think CaliValley Girl says it best:
"after the whole hoopla, you get home, sit on the sofa and chit chat about the most normal things, and realize that nothing has changed. It was like he never left."
I will never forget that evening -- probably the longest hours of my life! But the feelings of love and pride I felt for my husband at the end made the entire year apart worth it. I already can't wait for the next one!
1 comment:
Man, you looked so hawt in that sexy dress! I was kind of bummed that the guys returned in winter, because I couldn't wear something sexier...although that certainly didn't deter some of the other wives...;-)
Well, I was sooo nervous before he came back that I compared it to what I have heard people say about their feelings before getting married. I wouldn't call it cold feet, but in the final few minutes before he came in I was getting these silly thoughts like, omg, what if my feelings aren't the same when I see him again, etc.
Anyways, that was a beautiful story, thanks for sharing it.
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