Deployment

There's really no way to prepare for a deployment. There are different emotional stages that come with it. The time leading up to departure is the most tense. My emotions are like a one woman roller coaster ride. This is the first stage - denial. You fight the reality that he is leaving. The truth is he is leaving, no matter what.

Earlier today Violet wandered off into the guest room. It's full of Ben's Army stuff and she loves to get into things in there. I knew that's where she had disappeared to and as I approached the room I heard the familiar jingle of Ben's dog tags. She played and examined them (and maybe chewed on them) for twenty minutes, adding such an innocence to everything that's about to happen.


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