Should we stay or should we go?
I have earned many benefits via the Air Force. The AF has allowed me to financially support my family alone, provided free health care, life insurance, free gym access, discounted groceries at the commissary, a steady pay check, free visit to Seaworld/Busch Gardens once a year and 30 vacation days a year. And a nice retirement check after 20 years of service for the rest of my days.
More importantly, I have a fierce pride in what I do thanks to the military as well. I may not be very passionate about my job, but I'm proud of the job I'm doing. I absolutely love the comradeship that can only be found serving. I have people in my life now that I'll be life long friends with. Amazing, wonderful people that I would have never had the opportunity to bond with if it weren't for the military. I'm truly grateful for those friendships.
With all that said, it's not a light load to walk away from. The AF provides us with a huge safety net and support, but it comes at a price. A price my marriage and emotional stability have been paying for dearly. In just the last 3 years (36 months) my family has lived under the safe roof for only 14 of those 36 months. 22 months, almost TWO YEARS is an awful long time to be separated from your spouse. We knew what we were getting into, and there were many different reasons we had to live a part. We knew the sacrifices would be worth it eventually,and we knew there would come a day when it just simply wasn't anymore.
That day came on 10 May 2015 when we added the most precious member to our growing family.
Miss Norah June McVay.
We were already growing weary of all the missed time together, but when she came into our lives we knew what had to be done. We didn't wait 5.5 years to have a family, and not be together to enjoy it. The decision was an easy one after we fell in love with our blue-eyed little girl.
No more time living in different states. No more facetime dates. No more missed holidays.
Finally we have a wonderful light at the end of this hard, long, emotional tunnel we've been digging for the last 3-4 years. My daughter and I will stay in Florida until April then I'll separate from Active Duty and finally join my husband for the final time in Oklahoma. We daydream about our future together all the time, and looking at Norah we know we made the right decision. We may not have our future exactly planned out, but we know we'll be together for it. We will most likely be on some sort of welfare just to survive, but at least we'll be together. We rather have each other in arms reach then a sacrificial safety net any day.
9 months until my family is at last under the same roof for good...cheers to the final countdown!
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