My cousin, Leslie, is married to a soldier who has been in Iraq for three years and during that time only coming home a few days. They have two children, Gracie a three year old and Christian a six year old. Gracie just started day care and Christian has finally gotten adjusted to the first grade. A few days ago, Leslie received news that her husband would be returning to the states and after three months at the Army base in Kansas he would be home for good. He has requested Leslie to pick up and move from their comfy home in Charlotte, North Carolina, where they are just a five minute drive from their grandparents, to Kansas for those months.
In my opinion, her husband is being extremely selfish. I understand that he wants to see his children, but it is not fair of him to ask them to put their lives on hold for him. The whole family agrees with this, they also have tried to talk Leslie into bringing the kids down every other weekend or so. Once these months are over, he has all the time in the world to spend with the children, in their home. My cousin, of course, is obeying is wishing despite the arguments being raised by all extended family members. Are we wrong about him being selfish? What would you do if you were in Leslie’s position?
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2 comments:
If he's been in Iraq for three years, those little children hardly know him, or he them. I can understand why he would want them to be wth him at the army base. The transition from the battlefield to life at home is really hard, from what I have been reading, especially after such long tours of duty. Three years!! The adjustment is easier on the regular army than on the National Guard because the Natinal Guard goes right back to their civilain life, with no support from the military in dealing with the psychological problems. Soldiers inthe regualr army get support, as your cousin will, by being on the base for a while, as a kind of transition. If his family can be there with him, that would make the transition even easier. I don't think he's being selfish at all. Think of all he has sacrificed.
I understand that he has scarficed a lot and why he wants his kids to be there. Either way my cousin is going but I just dont think it is fair for the kids, being so young and knowing how hard it was for them to adjust into school, to be pulled from their lives, friends, and everything they know just to come back to it three months later and try to play catch up.
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