R&R-Blessing and a Curse!

“I miss you when something really good happens, because you are the one I want to share it with. I miss you when something is troubling me, because you are the one who understands me so well. I miss you when I laugh and cry because i know that you are the one that makes my laughter grow and my tears disappear. I miss you all the time, but I miss you most when I lay awake at night and think of all the wonderful times we spent with each other...for those were some of the best times of my life.” 

 

Having your soldier return home for 2 weeks of R&R is both a blessing and curse.  R&R is rest and recuperation for service members who are deployed in the combat theater for 1 year and can take up to 15 days of leave during their deployment. The purpose is to provide relief to servicemen and enable them to get away form the stress of the combat mission.

 

R&R is a wonderful blessing. It's a time to have your soldier home and for 2 weeks your not worried waiting for his phone call or for him to come online. It's time to let the kids do things with daddy. Time to spend as a family playing board games, eating dinner together, and watching movies.. Time to reconnect as a couple. But just like it's GONE. That's the curse of R&R. You get use to him being here with you. Then he is back in the war zone. I like waking up to him singing to me before we get out bed, hearing him say good morning beautiful and giving me a good morning kiss it makes the start to my day great. I love having him helping me with the kids, the dog, and the groceries.  Being my sounding board when I have ideas. Brushing our teeth together then having him here laying next to me and falling asleep in his arms. Those are all the things I miss when he is gone. But for just this 2 weeks I get them all. They are all mine.

We are half way through R&R and as each day passes I know it's one day closer to saying see you later. I'm not looking forward to this day. Since my soldier deployed our army community has lost too many soldiers. Makes it harder at the airport watching your soldier get on that plane knowing he is going back into harms way and there is nothing you can do about it because it is his job. All you can do is just reassure your soldier you love him, your here for him, you support him, and that you'll be here in 6 months waiting for him to get back off that plane and welcoming him home with great BIG open arms.

 

I hope I'm making his R&R as less stressful as possible. I had a bunch of day trips planned to little places all over Germany and a week cabin booked for Edelweiss. But soon realized he didn't seem interested in doing a whole lot of traveling. So I've been letting him plan our days, which as most of you know it's full of MAG and going to the movies. But if that is how he wants to relax than that is what we do. It's his R&R so letting him enjoy it the way he wants too.

 

I feel fortunate to get 2 weeks with him. It rejuvenates me, revitalizes me, and actually helps me recuperate from all the stress. I just wish sometimes his job didn't take him away from us for a year. I just wish sometimes I didn't have to spend an entire year worried about my husband worried if he is going to make it home this time. I just wish deployments would come to an end!

Going to go enjoy this Sunday with my husband now playing MAG and watching a movie and enjoying a nice dinner as a family.