It’s not fun to say goodbye.

In the nine and a half years that Phil and I have been married, goodbyes have been rare. As we arrived at the airport to drop him off for a recent business trip, I found myself feeling a little sad…and tired. Getting up at 3:15 in the morning tends to produce a weary sort of sadness.

As we pulled up to the curb at the terminal, another car was parked in front of us. A couple stood next to it saying goodbye. As I prepared myself to say goodbye to my husband for two whole days, the man’s camouflage caught my eye. Instantly I felt very, very small.

That was a different sort of goodbye.

The woman saying goodbye to her soldier was filled with emotion. I have never experienced what she was feeling, but I can imagine…

I don’t know where he was going. It could be anywhere… But I am sure that their uncertain goodbye was hard. Painful.

Then he stepped aside, and I saw her pregnant belly.

And I don’t know what to say, other than…thank you.

To all of the men and women who serve and defend our nation, and to their families, thank you.

Because, really, I don’t have a clue about saying goodbye.

This post included in Real Life’s Your Life Your Blog.