One of my best friends moved away.
Dammit.
We'll still stay friends and call each other and talk for too long. But it's. not. the. same.
We have been friends (and co-located) for eight years and three duty stations. Some military marriages don't get that far.
We were friends for two years at our first assignment together, but then her husband left for Kansas for school and we fell out of touch (no facebook then, as hard as it is to remember life before FB). Because God is truly awesome and looks out for drunks, small children and fools like me, we found out that we would be assigned to the same duty station after that year of school. How am I so certain that it was divine intervention? Because the only soul I knew at that duty station rented a house 4 doors down from the one we bought. Did I mention the house I bought was not my top choice initially?
When our husbands PCSd us to a new duty station and deployed in the same brigade two weeks later, we were all we had. We could have saved a ton of money and just lived in one house. But we didn't think of that in time. We were battle buddies for that hellacious year of deployment and the not-much-better year when my husband was between deployments and hers worked 90 hour weeks.
My kids thought her kids were related to us. The term "other mom" was tossed around. Our hairdresser in Austin thought we were a couple because when we showed up at the salon together and I handed her the baby, the baby was totally okay with being handed off. (In response to his approving smile and head nod: No. It's not like that. See, we have husbands, but.... You know what. Nevermind. I just need a trim, okay? )
We followed each other to Virginia, because there is always that one person in the Army that you just keep getting assigned with. But now she's off again. It's great for them. She's at peace with her husband's assignment and kids' schools and living arrangements. But I miss her.
She watched my five kids (on top of her two) when I went to the hospital to have #6 because I NEVER manage to have my babies when the family member who volunteered to help is around. Naturally, her husband was in the field for that fun-filled night. I checked her for lice that time her kid brought it home from school, because she has thick, gorgeous hair and was losing her mind at the very idea of lice.
You don't make friends like that often in this life. Luckily, I realize that and can appreciate it fully. All I can do now is wait for that assignment cycle that dumps us back in the same place. And use up all my minutes because she refuses to switch to AT&T. (that was a hint. Did you catch it? ;) )
I followed a link from HWHV's facebook page and I am in tears. I am about to go through my first PCS in two weeks, my husband's second. I've lived in Austin my whole life, and my best friend in the world is here. I understand that soul connection and being there for each other in every way (lice, included!) We met only four and a half years ago, but she's been my rock through lots of things, including this past deployment where I was lucky enough to live with my best friend. I'm so excited about our move to an awesome city, but of all the people that I'm leaving, it's hardest to leave her. She's my HLP (hetero-life-partner). I'm struggling with the idea of not having her a short drive away. I'm not sure about you but I am a firm believer in "everything happens for a reason." I know we're going where we are going for a reason beyond the Army, I know that I'm supposed to be a part of this journey with my husband, but I don't know why I'm supposed to be away from her. Time will tell, I guess. Thank you so much for your post. I hadn't realized how much I'd been pushing this to the back of my mind, but I suppose it's better to look at it now when I can still spend some time with her.
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