It ain't over till it's over

We are finally back in North Carolina and I am so happy to be back here. I loved being in Alabama all summer. I loved the help I had with the kids. I loved being with my family. In all the same ways, I love being back here at my house. I love being back here with my friends. I love being surrounded by women who are going through the same situation that I am and allowing me to see I'm not the only one. I may be alone but I'm not "alone" all by myself. At any given time there are 10,000+ ladies in this town that go to bed alone every night. That means there's a lot of lonely wives around here. That also means there's a lot of ladies just like me looking for ways to fill their time until (insert possible date here). We share so many of the same emotions that you just can't help feeling surrounded.

Tonight my attention was brought to a news website. Most military wives know, we NEVER watch the news for our own sanity. The website proclaimed that part of the 82nd would be extended for 52 days longer than their expected 1 year deployment. In a moment of a mini-heart attack, I made a few calls/emails and apparently this will not apply to our unit, not right now anyway. However, sadly, it does apply to someone. Someone had their countdown extended and when you have a countdown extended, it's sure to be the longest 52 days in history. I'm thankful that it's not us (not yet anyway!). I just can't help but let my heart go out to that mom/wife that found out that she had to endure 52 days MORE of this utter loneliness and press on for her children, her husband and herself.
Make no mistake, this job of being a military spouse is not an easy one. My heart aches nearly every day for a different aspect of my military mommy friends going through a different hardship. It never gets any easier. Another famous phrase comes to mind in reference to those extensions, whether it be 2 days or 2 months.
"It ain't over till it's over". Until they all come HOME!