On the Homefront

So, things have been quiet around here since Rick came home...a week early with less than a three hour notice:-) Those of you seasoned Sub Wives know that this is a common occurance and occurs more often than not. I remember two such incidents over the years that stick out. The first one being on Thanksgiving, the year Zachary turned 2. Because Rick wasn't going to be home, I was not cooking, instead the kids and I were going to eat some easy meal, spend the day at the beach,and go see Elmo in Grouchland in the evening. So, early Wednesday afternoon, I found out from less than official channels that they would be home the next day. So of course I dropped everything and went to the grocery store in search of a turkey...the night before Thanksgiving. The closest thing I could find was a small little turkey breast. So I took it home and cooked it, picked Rick up, we ate, and then we went to the movies. Elmo in Grouchland was Zachary's first movie and ended up being his favorite movie for many years. To this day my entire family quotes lines from that movie. The second incident of little notice of how or where they were coming home was when Rick came home for our daughters high school graduation. Up until the day he arrived, I wasn't sure when or where he was coming in via a transition out in the Harbor. I received an email the day he came home telling me that he would call me and let me know. Two hours before my daughters best friend graduated from another high school I received a telephone call that he was at the ferry landing at Iroquois Point ready to be picked up...in the middle of no where. He made it home 24 hours before his oldest daughter graduated.... I'm saying this because this last time the boat pulled in there was a great deal of complaining about the fact there wasn't enough notice given about the boat coming in. Last time I checked the United States Navy really did not owe us the curteousy of telling us anything about their mission and when they were coming or going. I'm just saying. I would think that the fact that your husband was going home would out weight any frustration in the regular inconsistent nature of the submarine force communication. As a Sub Wife there are many things that are required of you, but the most valuable one is flexibility and the ability to roll with the schedule. Had I chose to be frustrated that Thanksgiving or for my daughters graduation I would have taken from the time that my family did have together. Remaining flexible on the Homefront will give your submariner the peace of knowing that no matter how the schedule or orders change, that you as his MAIN SUPPORT SYSTEM will be able to take a deep breath, and roll with it. He needs you to no matter how you feel about it, pull up your boot straps and make it happen, without making him feel like dirt for loving both you and his country. You may be saying...you don't know what happened to our orders, or our change of homeport:-) Believe me...I have survived two changes of homeports...and God knows that after 22 years in Hawaii orders to Guam were something I never imagined. But in order for Rick to be successful in this tour...I need to be on board and support him. Things are not awful for me here...I have a job I love...I have decent house...my kids are in a school that they like and have a family of supporters in Guam...I have made some good friends that will be lifelong ones...I have to daily make the choice to have a good attitude, focus on the good things...to make sure when he does come home it is to a place where he wants to be...where the time he spends here is not full of frustration. HONORCOURAGECOMMITMENT