Last year our family experienced some time in the valley. Geoff was in Afghanistan with the U.S. Army 2nd Battalion 503rd infantry, 173rd Airborne Brigade. Sean was waiting tables as he applied to law schools. Mike was getting his feet wet as the new Anesthesiology director at a new hospital in a new town. Mike and I were trying to sell property in Colorado so we could buy something in Charleston. (We rented for a year or so.) My mom and Mike's mom, at ages 89 and 90, respectively, were trying to adjust to their new surroundings here in Mount Pleasant. And I, as wife, mother, daughter, and daughter-in-law, was busy being the prayer warrior, the cheerleader, the nurse, the chauffeur, the homemaker, the house hunter, and the gimpy tennis player.
And the Lord was with us through it all.
A blessing that I received as a result of Geoff's deployment was a whole new group of friends that I call my 'army girlfriends.' I doubt if the designers of Facebook could have imagined that their online social network would be an avenue of love and support between ladies who had never met, but all shared a common burden. Little by little we found each other...moms, wives, sisters, and girlfriends of men in the 173rd airborne Brigade who were deployed to Afghanistan. We were from South Carolina, Colorado, Mississippi, Texas, Georgia, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Virginia, Ohio, Indiana, Alabama, New York, North Carolina, Utah.....you name it! We lifted each other up, held each other up, cried with each other, laughed with each other, and supported each other in ways that only we could. If one of us received good news, we shared it and did what we called, 'happy dances.' If bad news came, we shared that too. We cried for and with each other, and prayed for each other and for the guys. One of the moms put a prayer list together and sent us all a copy. One of the girls got engaged during the deployment. We all rejoiced. She and her soldier were married in December. We all celebrated. Some of us were rookies and others were veterans. Those with previous experience helped the rest of us navigate through one of the toughest assignments we will ever face. When Geoff returned to Italy a couple of the wives went out of their way to see that he had everything he needed. This group of ladies will always have a special place in my heart.
Other big turnarounds:
In April Geoff came home for two weeks and some dear friends and family members came to see him and celebrate with us.
Not only did I make a lot of new friends here in the '2010 Best Tennis Town in America,' two of my teams made it to the state playoffs, and my 8.5 combo team won. I finally got my wrist fixed in June, which really helped. Playing tennis a lot more fun when it doesn't hurt every time you hit the ball!
Last September, after almost two years on the market, the Colorado property sold, and we bought a new home on Daniel Island.
From time to time Geoff would call me on Skype and I would get to see his face. Those moments were more precious than anything money can buy. And then, finally, after eleven long months, Geoff left Afghanistan! He also got new orders: He'll be moving to Fort Polk, in Louisiana in April.
In December, Sean finished his first semester at Loyola Chicago School of Law. He loves law school, and he loves living in downtown Chicago.
Both boys came home for Christmas, and being together as a family was the only gift that really mattered. We enjoyed our time together in Charleston, but the ski trip was epic. We all agreed that it was one of the best weeks ever for our family.
On Friday, the last day of our ski trip, at the top of our last run, we all stopped just above Sneaky's glade, where the view is majestic beyond words. It was a moment full of awe, reverence, and thanksgiving. We didn't say much, except, 'Thank you, Lord'... four hearts in one accord.
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