The Journey Begins (my English Essay)

It was a cold, damp morning. I was lying in bed, trying to prolong the last moments we had together. I knew this day was coming, but I never dreamed it would arrive so fast. Today, I had to say goodbye to my husband, Allen, knowing that I wouldn’t see him for at least a year. I woke up my son, Denny, around 8:30 A.M., so that he could have breakfast and get dressed. I knew this was going to be a rough day. We spent about an hour getting showered, having breakfast, and checking to be sure Allen had packed any last minute items, previously forgotten about. I could feel the knots in my stomach getting tighter, and the tears welling up in my eyes. It was almost time to leave the house for the last time together. I remember thinking how difficult this next year would be for us, as a family, and as a couple. The many nights I would spend alone. I tried to stay calm. I knew I had to be strong for Denny, and I didn’t want to cause anymore worry for Allen. The ride in the car seemed to go by so quickly. It’s a twenty minute drive that felt like five minutes. Once we arrived at the company, Allen took care of his final deployment preparations. We got to spend about an hour and half together for family time. The moment he would have to leave was coming closer; soon we would have to say our goodbyes. I didn’t want to think about what I was about to do, but I couldn’t get the thought of him leaving out of my mind. We spent our last moments together crying in each other’s arms. I felt like we were the only two people on earth, but looking around, I remember seeing the families of all the other soldiers about to leave. I started to feel somewhat relieved, because I realized I wasn’t alone. There was a whole support system standing right in front of me. They are the wives, husbands, parents, and children of all the men and women that will leave to serve our country. I left my husband’s side, secure in my abilities to carry on, knowing that I wasn’t the only one feeling these emotions. Only time will tell, but I feel I will become a stronger person after going through this deployment.