Sunday, November 8, 2009

Leave please.

Military members don't get regular normal people vacation. We get leave. Well...some of us do. Every time The husband and I have asked for leave we've been shot down. So we haven't actually been home in over a year. We would very much like to go. Since it's not working out so well we've decided to pretty much wait until pre-deployment leave. One problem. We made the mistake of mentioning our hope that we'd make it home for Christmas.

My in-laws are very nice people. Just very involved. VERY involved. I don't handle this so well, but I'm learning. Well, I received a phone call saying that they as well as my sister in law and her husband were going to buy our tickets home so we didn't need to worry about the money and could just come home. That's not the reason we won't be going home. We can't get our leave approved and Lucian won't have a passport yet. So first they throw money at the problem. They want us home for Christmas and we can't afford it so they'll pay. Doesn't fix the issue.

Next they throw Jesus at it. Mind I pray and go to church and believe I am saved, but I don't think throwing Jesus at problems works. I think Jesus wants us to take care of ourselves. But we get a nice email saying that we'd be home for Christmas because God has a way of working things out. Ummm....well...Ok? How do I respond to that?

Finally they tell The husband last night that if we didn't want to come home for personal reasons they'll understand. For real? No see...if the army wanted to approve our leave we'd be home. If Lu had his passport we'd be home. If the husband weren't gonna be gone for training the entire month before we'd be home. It has nothing to do with Money or Jesus or Personal reasons. I just wish they'd understand. I personally don't enjoy tactfully informing them again and again that it will probably not be happening and that while I appreciate them wwanting to buy our tickets home they're expensive and they don't need to.

Ah well. At least we know we're missed.

2 comments:

  1. That's tough!! It's hard for non-military people to understand the complexities of this life. Well. I'll throw hope and crossed fingers at your problem. Maybe that'll help.

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  2. I'll tell ya what...I'm gonna pray for them! Thankfully, our extended family seems to at least accept what we tell them, even if they don't understand or like it. Hopefully your in-laws will eventually learn this as well. In the meantime, I'd just keep kindly informing them that you'll be home when it fits into Nick's schedule and Lucian is ready as well. Eventually they'll have to live with it, regardless of whether they understand of not. I love you...keep the faith, sister o' mine!

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