Army Goodbyes. Ugh.

PHOTO:  My kids saying farewell to their good friends as they leave for Georgia from Fort Hood.

I love being an Army Family. I love the pride, patriotism, and sense of community that comes along with being a Soldier's wife. I love moving to new places, meeting new people, and learning new traditions in each new unit. But for all the things I love, there are just a few things that make me crazy ... one of these is the never-ending goodbyes either when you leave or when you stay and good friends leave you behind.

We said one such goodbye yesterday. We're staying; this wonderful family is leaving. This is a Family that we've gotten to know over the past four years. My oldest son is best friends with their oldest son ... they've been in the same classroom at school and in the same Cub Scout den for the past three years. My youngest is good friends with their youngest. They were in the same classroom this year and spent many Cub Scout meetings and family campouts playing together. Their middle child is a good friend to both of our kids and the five of them play together like a dream.

The wife in the family is a fabulous friend to me. She and I have attended (sometimes survived!) many a Cub Scout pack meeting, campout, and school event together. We have spent Spring Breaks together and helped each other through months of deployment.  She's fun, easy to talk to, and we trust each other implicitly.  We'd gladly keep each other's children ... I often tell her I'd adopt any one of hers ... and we enjoy being together.

For the past week, we've said a variety of goodbyes ... a dinner out at a local seafood restaurant, her husband's change of command ceremony, some time hanging out together, and a final stop at our house on their way out of town yesterday.  It's a beautiful thing to have friends such as these ... and such a sad occasion to have to say goodbye.  Fortunately, in the Army, goodbyes are not forever.  There are lots of ways to keep in touch, a good chance of being stationed together again one day, and the promise of more fun places to visit! 

So ... I wish our friends super-safe travel and Godspeed on their journey to Fort Benning.  They will make more great friends there and I look forward to hearing all about it!