A nice post by an Army wife watching her husband prepare to deploy…

My child is handling my husband’s deployment a little better than I am
By Amanda Creel

It’s amazing how resilient children can be. As my husband finished up all his packing and nailed down his last-minute to do list, I found myself sulking in a corner wishing it wasn’t time for him to leave. But, not my Avery. He spent the evening making pictures — more like an art gallery by Avery — for his daddy to pack beside his Airmen Battle Uniforms or ABUs. Avery was convinced the pictures would make a great addition to Justin’s new quarters. I too tried to leave a few things to brighten Justin’s day when he arrived such as sweet nothings from me and the boys written in marker on shampoo bottles, shaving cream and anything else I could get my hands on.

The more Justin got accomplished the more helpful Avery was and the more distant I became. As he packed, I spent most of the evening in our study penning this column and coming out for air only when my services were requested by Avery or Justin. I was so quiet (which is more than out of character for me) as Justin finished filling his duffle bags that Justin stopped his progress to come check on me. When he saw me in my writing mode he was somewhat less concerned. I typically disappear and spill my heart out on paper rather than adding to his stress, so he shrugged his shoulders and headed back to our extra bedroom, which over the past few weeks had turned into his own personal deployment headquarters.

At this point I realize I should probably follow the lead of my 4-year-old who on this occasion has proven wise beyond his years. In other words, just because I am the adult in this relationship doesn’t mean that I am always wiser and sometimes you have to admit you are the one being a big baby. Avery had spent the entire evening doing every thing he could to help his Daddy get ready to leave, such as numerous trips downstairs to retrieve all sorts of items including “10 really big Ziploc bags.” Avery genuinely wanted to help his Daddy get ready for his “new job in the desert. I was too busy thinking about what getting ready to leave meant. While Avery was just proud that he was able to help his Daddy get ready no matter what it meant in the future. Avery didn’t miss a beat — he was his Dada’s right-hand man — as Justin spent the evening making sure nothing was left behind or out of place.

I don’t know if Avery grasps how long daddy is going to be gone, but he sure gets how important it is to live in the moment and send Daddy off with a smile. I, however, am well aware of how many sunrises we will witness without Justin, but I sometimes have a hard time remembering to make the most of every moment, even mundane things like packing.