Saying Goodbye

I mentioned previously that while both the Army and Superman chose not to send us through a deployment -- for reasons bigger than both of us know -- it would come as no surprise to me that at any minute, the decision, from one end or another, would change.

In fact, I knew that Superman may get the deployment itch once we reached his battalion's sendoff. And that perhaps his commander, and the battalion commander would ask him to come back on.

And I was right.

But it didn't quite end the way I thought it would. At the end of the ceremony, Superman did NOT get on that bus. Instead, we showed our support and said our goodbyes to few great soldiers. We also said goodbye to one of the biggest chapters of our life for now: seperation.

Both of us were not happy, not sad, just nostalgic. Nostalgic because for 2 years, our life revolved around this one day. And in some ways, we now felt like we weren't truly a part of it. Just onlookers, really. I couldn't believe the day unfolded the way it did. I pictured the day differently every day for the past two years.

I asked Superman if he thought he made the right decision on his end by staying. We are taking a big risk both staying and leaving, so only time will tell, he said.  He's right. You're only as good as the risks you take.

I couldn't be more proud of Superman, and I couldn't be more proud of his battalion.