I'm Almost There

I was cleaning my bedroom late last night. As I was cleaning off our dresser I looked down at the beautiful jewelry box Matt sent to me when he first got to Iraq. Besides my children (of course) this is the most special gift he has ever given to me. It is hand made & just beautiful. I was thinking of when I got this & how long ago it was. I remember opening the box up & seeing this along with a bracelet inside. He wrote a note & put it in the jewelry box saying "Wear this bracelet & everytime you look at it you will think of me." I remember crying for hours & wondering if I would ever make it. Well, I almost have! Longer than I ever thought I would. I mean obviously I'd make it. I mean there's nothing else you can do but just go on but I just never thought it would end and it's close. Not close as in days but close enough to actually see there's an end in sight.







If you look at the last picture you'll see what I have in the box. They are all very special things that I have from this deployment. I have our Marriage License. The bracelet he sent with the box. A necklace that he brought home for me when he came home for R&R. It has my name on one side & my name in Arabic on the other side. It also has a yellow Support Our Troops bracelet. Both boxes from our wedding rings. Last, it has something so simple but means the WORLD to me. Something Matt not even know I have. A penny. A penny you ask??? Well, the day Matt left in November to actually go to Iraq was obviously a very hard day. He had been gone since September & was only able to be here for a couple days & that was it. He was going a world away from us & we had no clue when he'd ever be home. It was time for me to take him to the plane & was losing it. I was watching him say goodbye to the kids. Hearing them as "Why". It was the worst day of my life. Well, as I stood in our hallway crying Matt walked towards me but noticed a penny on the floor. Him being the silly guy he is. He picked it up,wiped my tears & said "If you stop crying I'll give you a penny". It worked I stopped crying & laughed. I put that penny in my pocket & kept it all this time. I look at that penny & realize that yes I have cried alot in this last year but I have made it. I am stronger than I ever dreamed.
I am proud of my husband for all he does daily. For all he has given up to help our country. I am proud of my children who are so strong. They miss their dad so much but never complain & you know what? For a moment last night looking at these things. I was proud of me.
I'm Almost There!