Picture: Jemma as a baby when we went to celebrate the end of a training for Tony
As a selfish person, I want to share my version of the hard part of the story often. I had a gut check often during deployment when I would stop and realize: what Tony is doing is hard too. Yes what I did was hard. And I focused on that a lot these past months (admittedly it is hard to see past your own struggle sometimes). But man what our military does is crazy hard. I am so unbelievably proud of my guy and our soldiers. Our soldiers give up family time and “normal life” and holidays. Some of them live in a strange place, with a different language and culture.... a good thing to experience but also a hard thing. They do their best to push forward together, forging friendships with each other, remembering home and hope. They give their time, their energy, their determination, their heart. Some soldiers give their lives. And for what?
Because they all believe in the value of serving others, of giving the best life to others even at the cost of their own.
I am proud to live in a country where freedom is important and valued and gained even with sacrifice. I will be honest: some days I was bitter and angry and frustrated. Some days it was hard that all Jemma had was a screen to talk to her dad. But I am proud. Tony would remind me that they were helping families where he was. And I would do it all again if I knew we could give another family peace that they deserve.
“If a man hasn't discovered something that he will die for, he isn't fit to live.” – Martin Luther King Jr
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