A Soliders Homecoming

This is the story of the homecoming of my son from Afghanistan in 2004....I had waited 10 months for this day....I can't even begin to tell you how I had waited for this day.... and what a day it was! This is the e-mail I sent out to friends and family to tell them of the homecoming. I have used the word "my son" in replace of his name...not sure how thrilled he is to be known for this story. LOL.

Sorry it is written in e-mail language.  

Tashi passed away very unexpectedly this past May. I will love her always. God-speed Miss Tashi.

Break out the kleenex!!!! And not because you will be crying but because you will be laughing your _____ off and may cry from laughter!!!!!!! You might even want to go put on a pair ofDepends before I tell you how it went!!!!!!

To start....Sat was a long day of waiting. His plane did not get in until 4:45 and I was pacing all day. Cleaning, shopping (more food) and fixing things up...balloons and posters and yellow roses.

In the afternoon Scott came home from his weekly yoga-meditation class. He was gone WAyyyyyyyyyy too long and I was starting to get upset. He finally showed up around 1:45...I still had plenty I wanted him to help me do. Well, while we were busy fixing something, our dear girl Tashi (you all remember her) the Shih tzu that is the newest love of our life...Well we lost track of her for a few minutes outside and when I found her I discovered she had relieved herself and was now involved in her famous poop eating. I cleaned her mouth out and brushed her teeth (yes I am serious) it was gross.

Time was getting closer and closer. All day long I would say, “only 6 more hours…5 more hours….3 more hours…Around 3 o’clock I figured I had better change and get ready. I did not know what to even wear to go get him and decided ona sun dress...a nice sun dress...I put on a beautiful quartz crystal necklace that my two children had given to me for my 40th b-day. It opens up and is a locket and holds their pictures. I felt ready to see my beloved child.

Around 3:30 I checked the internet to see if my son's plane was on time. It was scheduled to be arriving earlier than expected. I started to get anxious and told Scott we needed to leave. He thinks I am a bit of an alarmist and told me to relax.

Now...we take Miss Tashi everywhere with us and it was never a question that we would take her with us...except my dear girl became a woman on Thursday and is in heat....not much, a little drip here and there so NO POROBLEM....right? We did debate on whether or not to take her.....in the back of my mind was something my sister who is an honest to God psychic told me this past week. "Don't take TASHI"...next time I will listen to her when she gets a FEELING about something. But I put aside all intuition and put her in the car.

So off we head to the airport. I truly can not believe this day has finally arrived and I am somewhat distant and unemotional. Can't explain!!!! I had dreamt about this day for soooooooooooooooo long and you wonder if reality will match your expectation. As I am heading out the door I ask Scott if he thinks I should bring the regular camera...he says why???we have the digital. We get into the car and I remember that I had put some cold medicine (for my son) into the other camera bag. I run into the house and grab the other camera....(thank you GOD) and off we go. The airport is only ½ hour drive from our house and I felt so excited as we drove out of the driveway.

Around 15 minutes later I asked Scott if he brought his cell phone....and he said no....why would we need it? I say,”What if we can't get to the airport, we will have no way to call him?”. He turned to me and gave me the look from hell as if to say...Would you get over yourself...what could possible happen we are just a few minutes away. OK I say to myself...stop worrying.

Around a minute later...with Tashi in my lap....before I know what is happening...I realize she is heaving and a second later throws up alllllllllllll over me....now this is not just throw up....it is Poop THROW UP (I would use the other word but it would get blocked in the e-mail) But lets just be direct…IT WAS SH…T!!!!!!!!!!! I mean the nastiest smelliest POOP throw up you could imagine. ALL OVER ME....through the dress and into the tummy tucking underwear. ALL over the digital camera....we are 10 minutes from the airport and my son's flight is arriving in 25 minutes. I am in complete and utter shock!!!!!!!!! I can not go into the airport like this. I mean it is this HUGE POOP puke all over me... I am beyond myself and half scream, half cry for Scott to do something...well the smell is so bad that he is gagging!!!!!!!!!! and can barely drive the car. We are near a strip mall in Granby and I scream for him to turn in...there is nothing there except a CVS...I am just soaked with this POOP/puke. It is now running down my leg and into the seat....and Tashi is in the back seat heaving and throwing up more....two more times to be exact. At the CVS I jump out of the car...the POOP/puke is just sticking to my dress in a BIG blob, at least the parts that have not soaked through and are running down my leg!!!!. I am honest to God ready to strip naked in the parking lot...Scott runs into CVS to see if there is ANYTHING I could wear. Time is clicking away....I am just standing there and these total strangers are walking toward me to their car. I kind of look at them and say I am on my way to the airport to pick up my son who has been in Afghanistan and my dog …..blah blah....they look at me with the most heartfelt looks in there eyes and I say to them..."You don't have any extra clothes in your car do you"...they say, “well I think we do....they are our sons and we are planning on bringing them to Goodwill”. So there I am rummaging through these bags full of teenage boy’s clothes to find something to wear... They are doing their best to help but I now the smell is getting to them also. I wish I could thank these people….I did not get their name..I’m sure they will never forget this day!!!!!!!!! they pull out a red and blue polo shirt...totally wrinkled and I say great...next come the homey jeans and I figure somehow I will get to the airport. They watch the dog....Scott is still inside trying to find me clothes. I run behind a brick wall (yes I am a bit out in the open) get naked and put these clothes on....as I am coming out Scott is coming out of CVS “empty handed”. My last hope at arriving in a decent manner is lost. We jump in the car...but not before Scott finds an old pair of jeans (TOOOOOOO TIGHT) in the trunk and brings them to be. So while we are driving I take off the homey jeans……… now mind you my legs are still smelly and wet and I try to squeeze into the other jeans. This was not pretty..but I did it.

Well in the end..Scott had to stay in the car with the dog. So it was just me and my yellow rose to greet him. I asked a stranger if he would take our picture (thank God I went back and got the other camera). I think the whole airport knew of my episode. There was another family there waiting for a Marine coming from Iraq. They were all there with flags and banners…there I was alone with my smelly, strangers clothes on. It was not the homecoming I had imagined. But when I saw him come around the corner smiling and (looking a bit confused at my outfit) a thousand worries were lifted from my soul. He hugged me and looked me in the eyes and said, “I told you I would come home”. I could not stop hugging him. His body is like steel!!!!and he looks GREAT...strong and handsome and smiling.
 

This is ALL I really wanted....him safely home, and that he is.