Missing His Best Friend

We are the Perez Three: Rick, Stephanie, and Isaiah. Right now our family is minus one dad. His efforts and dedication right now are used aboard the USS Boxer where he proudly serves his country. This for us is deployment number three and as we continue on you think it would get easier with each time he leaves. You are wrong it doesn't.


With every developmental age my son goes through is a list of whole different ways that he deal with the separation from his father. Right now my Zay is struggling since he changed schools. He is not one for change and this school transition with the deployment of his dad was a lot of emotion for one little person. Just the other night we were talking about friends and how he can make improvements with the relationships he has at school. Amidst our lil conversation, I stopped him and told him no matter what he would always have friends at home and we loved him and will always support him. My child startled me when he interjected to add, "You and dad our my best friends and I dont need anyone else but I do need my dad. He is my favorite friend." Oh and out came the tears. We just held each other and cried and talked about all the fun stuff him and dad used to do and how they are going to do more great stuff once they are back together. It was so hard to hear the pain in my sons voice. I wish I could make it go away for him. I feel so guilty cause I did agree to this military life for me and Rick but no where in the equation did Isaiah have a say and he has to put up with the same issues we do. I wish I could make it easier. It is so hard to find ways to tell my 9 year old that his dad wont be home until maybe Christmas?! And that is not even for sure yet. I know that there are ups and downs to being a military brat but right now the down is seeing my baby hurting. With each passing day I remind him he loves him and he is coming home.

With that stated its hard for me to sell it to my kiddo and be strong for him when I am hurting to. I miss my best friend. Although I am surrounded by great friends  and family I would trade all of them for just him. I love my girlfriends our little group we call the "Fun Ready Girls" but I miss my husband. I think the loneliest times on deployment for me is when I have to be a parent alone. I feel solely responsible for how my kid is turning out and if there is any draw backs I feel they are a direct reflection on me cause I am a lot of the time the only parent. Its so dang hard. I wish there was a class for that done by the Navy a "how to be a single parent when married" I guess nothing can prepare you for this lifestyle. I will never be used to the empty bed, the unused clothes in the closet, the tools in the garage collecting dust and most of all my sons heart forever waiting for the days to go by quicker so he can be reunited with his best friend again.

Rick and Isaiah on the Family Day Cruise 2011