“I can’t believe I’ve run out of things to talk about after only 10 minutes.”
Now this is a thing I find myself saying a lot. Being a deployed member there is only so much you can say about your day at work. Remember though, just because you might not have a lot to talk about, that doesn’t mean that your wife or children don’t have things to talk about.
I realised the other day that this trip is not all about me. My family is doing it tough back home too and sometimes my wife has only the baby to talk to when she is home alone. So I imagine that getting a call from me is a welcome relief as it’s another adult to talk to! I make sure that I take the time to listen to all the news she has to give me even if it takes an hour. Not only is it going to give a big relief to my wife to talk to another grown up but it also does me good. It brings me back down to earth and reminds me that there is more to life than work at the moment.
A call home can mean so much to your kids also, especially if it is via video. They get to see their dad and talk to you as if you where standing there right in front of them. So make sure you put a lot of effort into talking to your children because it will mean the world to them. Not only that, it gives you a chance to see how much they are growing and changing. Having an 8 month old at home means I see massive differences every time I get to video chat with my daughter. One day she is crawling and the next she is taking unassisted steps and saying different words! So savor the moment with your kids while you have them on the phone, as sometimes you might not know when you will get the chance to speak to them again!
I’m grateful that we live in an age where home is just a phone call away. Back in the day when others would have been overseas, letters where the only form of contact between families. Sometimes taking up to two months to send and receive a letter would have been a real effort on a family.
So even if you have no news, give home a call, just to see how its going. You might be surprised what good it can do.
The Deployed Dad 