My Brother is Home!

Sorry for the absence lately. With everything that is going on with my mom, I've realized that I'm only a decent writer when I know how things end. I love telling stories with an entertaining or enlightening ending, a message or lesson that can be gleaned from it. In fact, the things I write most frequently are game recaps, little summations with a clear-cut ending. I'm really struggling with how to put my mom's situation into words because I just don't know what to say.

So, I'll focus on something else today. After an eight-month deployment on the U.S.S. Boxer, my brother is finally home. I can't even begin to explain what this has done for the morale and happiness of my family. Seeing his smiling face, hearing his laugh, and dodging his punches make me feel like no time has passed, despite how different our lives have become in the last couple months.

Due to my mom's situation, he was given the opportunity to come home for a bit, unlike the rest of his comrades. Unbeknownst to his girlfriend, however, the Red Cross sent him home two days earlier than expected, giving him the perfect opportunity to surprise her at work.

After an emotional reunion in the airport, we picked Jamie up for lunch and LP got ready to surprise Elizabeth. The agonizing wait at her salon, as my hands shook uncontrollably and I worried that my camera would run out of batteries, felt about as long as his deployment. Her reaction was totally worth it.



The rest of the weekend was spent relaxing, catching up with friends, bowling (LP, Mom, and Wheat each won a game), playoff hockey, enjoying the weather, cornhole competitions, eating an Easter feast, and feeling grateful for our precious time together. It's never long enough.

If you're interested, here is a longer video I made for LP. Probably NSFW. Please keep in mind: My brother is a Marine. Ha.