Last night my husband and I hosted a going away party for our close friends who are moving on Monday. As I was planning what day, time, and place the party would take place it didn't feel real. I met my friend when I was a server at Chili's and her and her husband just happened to be in my section! We started working together at a local salon where she was a hairstylist and I was the receptionist. After 6 months I left and she continued to work. When we moved on base we were neighbors, our yards faced eachother and I remember that she would always stand at my back fence and yell my name for me to come out. I've never had a close friend like her to where I could tell her everything and when we hung out it didn't feel awkward.
To me moving is weird. I've never moved anywhere in my life until I met my husband, now when I see a moving truck drive down my street it doesn't faze me, but seeing a close friend pack up their house and not seeing their car in their driveway doesn't feel real. I remember when my husband and I first started dating I didn't understand how the military worked. People came and went and I always saw it as sad and my husband would tell me "that's the military." So as I learned more I adopted that saying. I promised myself that I wouldn't get close to anyone because I didn't want to say goodbye. But when you live thousands of miles away from family your neighbors become your new family.
As the days pass by Monday creeps closer and having to say goodbye is getting harder. Just thinking about saying goodbye makes me sad. I know I shouldn't act like a baby but I can't help it! I thought I would be able to handle it better and not seeing it as a sad day but a day where it would be exciting because they were starting something new. I have been given a lot of advice from other military spouses that I will make new friends and to not worry, and I know I will, I just have to get past Monday. I wish my friends the best of luck in their adventures and I now know how special my friends are to me. They're like my family and I will always cherish our time together. It will probably take me a couple days to get over the empty driveway and not hearing that familiar voice at my back fence, but who knows maybe we'll see eachother again!
I told myself the same thing when I became a Military Wife...but like you said, when you live thousands of miles away from your real family, your friends become your family. When I was stationed in Japan I never thought that I would meet such wonderful friends, one actually became my best friend, and even still is.. we both moved away within three months of each other..I am now back in CA and she is now in VA. It gets even harder to stay close when your family size grows and you have no more time left in a day for even yourself..but we made a deal, and once a year, we are taking a trip somewhere together...It never gets easier, no matter how long you're in..I cry everytime.. but from experiance.. its harder to leave than me left...But always remember that friends are around for reasons, seasons, or lifetimes..
ReplyDelete(((( HUGS )))) I understand!
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