Taken a few years ago at an aquarium in NC
What do you say to one of your best friends when they say, ” I need you.” ?
First, you have witty banter;
“Hop on the next plane!”
“Oh, because I have 3 thousand dollars in my back pocket!”
“Well, then swim, I’ll pay for at least the life jacket!”
“Oh, gee I get to swim the pacific and you just paid 3o bucks for me to be eaten by sharks!”
“Nah, you’re strong enough to fight them!”
….And it proceeds… babbling about when I make it to the states with severed limbs and such. All because they broke up with their overly attached, too young, needy, crazy like a bad 90’s movie, boyfriend.
You’re immediate response is to want to be by their side.
Ah, but alas, you cannot. It’s somewhat heart-breaking.
They have been through so much with you already. So feel like you are letting them down.
AND THEN, you wake from your one track emotion induced state.
Crap, what about my husband, my other best friend?
Your emotions change direction. You have been through all of this with him. Plus, deploying, PCSing, kids, daily stresses ecetera.
Not to mention, you are having an neural meltdown, by this point because your kids just dumped cereal on the carpet!
Your husband needs you because of his daily stressors and added personal reasons.
Your child needs you well because they all do.
You have more then one friend going through crisis mode. Some may be trivial things that have just set them off. Where as others you can’t help but to sympathize with them. All your friends in their own right are suffering.
Added bonuses:
Your family is not well.
Your sister-in-law had a baby and you forgot to send the gift.
You have a pile of sewing notions that you started and haven’t finished.
It’s almost noon and the commissary closes early on Sundays.
There is tension brewing on the base you live on.
There are rules not being abided. Complaints being made. People bickering.
You are starting to plan a baby shower for a single Marine who could really use your support.
Again, your husband needs you.
Your child just was told to wash her hands and decided to flood the bathroom.
You live in base housing where the flood could cause problems with your downstairs neighbors!
You want to scream at the top of your lungs….but..YOU CAN’T!…..you’re neighbors will call PMO because they think your husband is beating you or you are beating your kid! (Okay that was overly dramatic! but you get the picture now!)
Your only good friends here are sick and you feel bad.
You can’t play a damn video game with out being mad!
Your dryer isn’t drying clothes and your microwave crapped out.
Are we getting the picture yet? You just want to be able to drink a super serum and run around with a cape and heat vision. You want to be there for everyone you can be, but can’t. It’s frustrating! It hurts. It’s hard somedays.
All that and I can’t imagine why my husband volunteers to deploy!! Sometimes I think that may be the easier way! Haha!
In end you, just want to cry because all your friend really needed was a hug.
Now, you need one too and the vicious cycle continues!