Quote Originally Posted by Robyn Maislin View Post
Well, after almost 4 years of avoiding it, Scott is being deployed to Iraq around the beginning of March. Thankfully, I will be back at work around the time he goes. He will be coming to visit us sometime in February, which is good.

I've been spending so much time worrying about myself and my health, that I don't think I can worry about him, too! I guess I have a fatalistic approach; I can't stop this from happening and at least he's not a machine gunner anymore. He's in intelligence and will be assisting a colonel, working with the "locals." We are not allowed to know any more than that.
Please send some good thoughts his way!
I'm so sorry to hear that, honestly. Is he married?

My son spent a year in Iraq, during which his baby was born 10 weeks premature, and I wasn't getting along too well with his wife, whose mother was stirring stuff up between us on purpose. Let's just say that 2005 was the worst year of my life. When you're one step away from "next-of-kin", you don't get to know anything...not the first phone calls, sometimes not even the second or third. Add in a dysfunctional family dynamic on her side, I was made to feel that I wasn't even supposed to care if my son had a pillow to lay his head on while he was patrolling the streets of Baghdad and earning a commendations, nor had I, the only member of the baby's father's family nearby, a right to be present in the waiting room while my grandson struggled for life in the NICU.

The bitterness comes with the greatest joy, though, that my son returned home safe (but not necessarily sound), and that little 2 lb 14 oz baby is now 2-1/2 and able to trash Gramma's house with the best of 'em!

Worry is not good for your health, but I'm not about to slap you in the face by telling you not to, as happened to me over and over. Most of the soldiers and marines come back just fine. Remember that.

Karen