Timing can be a powerful thing, in more ways than one.

Sometimes you come across items, photos and nowadays webposts that really hit you. The timing is always uncanny and it is almost as if a higher power put it there for you to read.  Today I was googling some things and a link to a link of a link sent me to a blog post. The blog is of an Army Medic, it was his last post before being killed in theatre. I hesitated at first for obvious reasons, the strongest being that the post was about his tour ending and him being on his way back to the USA after a year in AFG.  I prepared myself to get sick, weep or whatever else would come along with reading something so powerful.  To my surprise, the topics he wrote of were aligned with what I feel daily and I am a civilian, not a soldier.  His writings are about so much more than a war or the military.  What I found to be the most comforting part of his final blog post is how proud he was of his work as a medic during wartime and that he would do it again in a heartbeat.  His family should be proud, I am to assume many  others aren't left with such a poignant gift from a loved one lost at war.  We all have our worries when it comes to a deployment, that is natural, war is a horrific vision in our minds.  Finally I have realized that constant manic worrying (like I did for our previous deployment) doesn't do a thing for anybody. I am going to try my absolute hardest to keep it under control.

We ALL have our gifts and purpose in life, not just service members; all of us.  It is the path of life.  I think many of us are feeling the way Eric was about society in America these days.  He wasn't and isn't alone.  What I take away from the little I know of his legacy and his candid opinion on his return home from a foreign land is this.  If we can't control what everyone else is doing collectively, continue with your standards & beliefs. In your work, in teaching your children and who you surround yourself with.   In the end, it is who you are and when you leave this life, your character is what you pass on to others.   You did a good job Mr. Williams, and today you gave this military spouse a little bit more strength to persevere through this next mission.

Thank you for your service Eric Williams, and thank you for your words today.

the post I read:  http://myfriendthemedic.blogspot.com/2012/07/coming-home.html

It always starts with a run.

Although the deployment ticker hasn't officially started yet, I am in that nesting like mode of planning and organizing as much as I can before Steve steps on the plane and I melt down for a few days.... I started consistently running as a result of the last deployment.  I had no kids, lived in a large motivating city and running tamed my constant anxiety.  In recent days I was close to committing to a half marathon on Long Island but fate intervened and today I ended up joining Team USO Fort Drum to run the ING NYC Half Marathon.  I ran this race recreationally in 2009. It is by far my favorite distance and to date, my favorite memory of all road races.  With this I will have to raise $1700 for the USO in which 90% of those funds WILL go to our local soldiers and families via our on post chapter.  They do amazing things throughout the year like give away 100's of free bikes to kids, bring shows like Sesame Street Live at no cost to families,  offer free daily meals & a place for soldiers to unwind. They are almost always the first faces our soldiers see at airports nationwide welcoming them home.  During deployments the USO's support ranges from helping loved ones left behind to cope to enabling deployed military members call or Skype with their families from across the globe.  We are one of those families and I know the USO will in fact be a place of support for our family during the coming 9 months if we need it.

Race day is March 17th 2013- between now in then I ask that if you can please support the USO via my race if you can.

Team USO Donation Page for Danelle K.

http://www.teamuso.org/c.9sIKJ0MFLaJYH/b.5880903/k.8C6D/Member_Search/siteapps/personalpage/ShowPage.aspx?c=9sIKJ0MFLaJYH&b=5880903&sid=iiJUJ7NOKeJKKYNFKpG

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.  My family thanks you, the USO thanks you and I know our military thanks you.

Blogging the deployment.

As most of you know my posts will touch on topics concerning current events, big events in my life and things that are usually running or fashion related... I try to keep the foodie stuff on the business blog.  As many of my friends and family know, Steve will be off to Afghanistan in the coming weeks.  It's a hard deployment for us as it is the first with children and unlike our last 15 month stint, the war is lost from not only headlines but most of the publics mind.  It isn't any one's fault, it is just how it is.  We rarely see in the news or in movies what is the true in between and real realities of war for our military families.  We either see death or homecomings. We don't see the goodbyes, we don't see the joys of the first email or phone call from daddy and don't see the challenges the children, soldiers and families face until they all come home.

I have chosen to blog through this deployment in an uncensored way. There will be days that are status-quo, there will be days where I may be in a complete panic and others filled with the sentiment of "we can do this".  I am hoping my blog helps regular civilians (who are still very much a part of sending our loved ones away) see what this all entails. Hopefully it will also show all of the different walks of life we come across in our Army life. The new found friends that move away abruptly, constant change and travel.  We don't all hunt, aren't all from the deep south and I certainly don't drive a pick up although there isn't anything wrong with a pickup.  ;)

My disclosure before this whirlwind of 9 months begins is that please take what I write with a grain of salt.  There will be a lot of emotion or distraction at times.  I take full responsibility for my transparency if you read it with perspective.  What I hope to gain is a therapeutic outlet to get me through the days and possibly a place where other spouses/family members can say: yeah, I feel this too and I am not crazy for it.  Until then I am going to enjoy my last days as a whole family for about 9 months... xxoo dk