Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Meet Seth
Dear Lisa,
(reprinted with permission)
After reading your blog and reading the article you were featured in on single moms and dating I had to write you. I don’t know that this will be read but when I saw your website and you asked to tell you my story well I thought “why not, I’ve never done that before, maybe it will help.”
I was put on orders to deploy for Operation Enduring Freedom. This was before they renamed it to Operation Iraqi Freedom. I deployed on the very same day I was told I would be leaving. When I told my husband we were strained; his job was hectic, my job asked me to leave practically on a dime. I’d been on deployments before, this would be no different than any other, it would just be a little longer. I was gone for 8 months when my world came to a screeching halt. October the 6th 2003 I walked by the phones that we used to call our families; my buddy asked me if I wanted to call home before him. I told him no. I was scared to call home. I had this churning in my stomach and an unwillingness to walk into that very room that housed that phone. I knew as I walked away that night that I would see my husband and my children in a week; I was due to go home for two weeks that Sunday. No need to worry. The next morning as I had breakfast with one of my buddies I realized I was late to depart to a neighboring post to attain my plane tickets to go home. My Sergeant screamed at me to get moving and I jumped into my truck. As I did my Commander appeared as if out of nowhere and told me to step out of the vehicle and walk to him on the mound behind the barricades. There, as I stood with hands clasped behind my back he told me my husband had died. I told him surely he must be mistaken. We have different last names. Wrong soldier! He’s a liar!! He told me his last name; his first name. He was dead. He had accidentally shot himself in the head.
I felt my legs collapse under me and pounded on that soft sand furiously crying like a spoiled child as the guards looked on. The last thing I told him was “it’s only 2 weeks don’t get all excited, it’s only 2 weeks” (referring to my vacation) I don’t know if I was telling myself that or telling him. It was deemed not suicide as the accident and me were investigated thoroughly. It’s been 4 years now and I still miss him. His son is 6 years old and his daughter is 10. I am glad in the fact that I do get to see him everyday. My son has everything of him aside from the color of his hair. I have met a nice man and have been dating for about 2 years now. I don’t know what will happen. I don’t know that I will ever be able to feel what I felt for him for someone else. The man I’m dating right now wants to marry…eventually and have children. Right now I don’t know that I can do that but I tell him I will keep it in mind. I still think about Seth, especially when I’m stressed, or when I see that the man I’m dating is nothing like Seth was. I wonder if I do him justice. I can’t help it though. Thank you so much for letting me send you my story.
Sincerely,
Lety
I receive five to 10 letters PER WEEK like this and Lety was nice enough to let me share her story. She'll never forget Seth and neither will we. We can all relate to what Lety has experienced and how she has moved on but Seth always remains in her heart and mind. If you'd like to share your story on www.remembermyloveone.blogspot.com, please go there, read the directions and send me your story. I'd love to hear it. Sometimes it helps us when we share our stories and it might help someone else.
Thanks Lety. Seth was a special man.
Lisa
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment