(which I only entered b/c h owed the Army for med school, and I couldn't see job hunting in new states & bar exams! every 2-3 years. So if you can't beat 'em, join 'em)
Army JAG School was in Charlottesville on or next to U Va's campus. I loved that little city. I was lucky to have h and son, then 15 months old, only 2 hours away so I could go thru basic training in Ft Lee (also in Va) and then JAG school, coming home every weekend for 4 months.
The weird thing about that was even though I knew I'd hate leaving our son every Sunday night to drive back down (and I cried each & every time), I have to admit that h and s really bonded well.
S finally learned to go to sleep a lot faster than the hour long process I had with him. I doubt he'd have learned that any time soon, if I'd remained at home then.
Oh, Melissa, I had a thought to share on a semi related note...some WASs don't seem to think or care about their kids after they leave...BUT let's consider this:
I found myself NOT wanting to call our son during the week. Why?
B/C I would end up aching more for him, when I called, not less. Worse, he'd ask when I was coming over, "why not now?" and HE would cry. I mean, every single time except a few Thursdays when I could say "tomorrow I'll see you".
I honestly felt more pain by calling him, (at that age) and I seemed to be reminding him of my absence more, by calling. So HE was hurt by my calls in some ways.
I don't know, but I think I can understand avoiding the issue of a small child's entreaties and justifying it, b/c you really do disrupt them at that age, and it hurts a lot on both ends.
Obviously if the child is older, each parent has to maintain enough contact for the child to feel loved. I would NOT get this for an older child. And the loss at the parent's end is not the issue, the loss at the child's end, IS.
When it's more than a day or 2 before you'll see a toddler, it's the same as 5 years, to them....
Just a thought.
M: 57 H: 60 M: 35 yrs S30,D28,D19 H off to Alaska 2006 Recon 7/07- 8/08 *2016* X = "ALASKA 2.0" GROUND HOG DAY I File D 10/16 OW DIV 2/26/2018 X marries OW 5/2016
