Everyone loves being called a “single digit midget” in the military. It means that you have entered the end of your deployment cycle and you are under 10 days from being home. Your freedom flight is ready to carry you across the ocean and onto American soil. A homecoming is just around the corner.
Homecomings also mean that a military family is giddy with excitement. They are preparing to circle a date on the calendar and pick up their hero at the airport or attend a welcome home ceremony. Either way, it will be a day to remember; a day that soldier, spouse, and family have been praying for.
Once the military family is reunited, challenges can easily surface. This transition will take time for everyone involved, so here are some tips once the deployment is finished.
Give your hero time to adjust at home. Don’t tightly schedule activities or gatherings. He or she may require additional rest adjusting to a new time zone, a change of food, and a change of climate. Yes, while it may be hard to believe, but the weather in some parts of the world is much worse than the heat we’ve experienced this summer.
Plan some together time for the immediate family. Do something special where all the kids can be involved. This will help your hero get back into the rhythm of family life. It’s often best to re-connect as a family first and then have a romantic getaway.
Discuss roles and responsibilities. Roles typically change during the deployment. Will everything return to the pre-deployment routine? Who will balance the checkbook? Who will pick up the kids after school? Who will mow the yard? Perhaps the kids have been fixing dinner on Friday night for the last 5 months and they enjoy the challenge. What will normal family life look like now that your soldier is home? Now is the time to discuss what is best for the family.
Be patient and tolerant with your spouse. New experiences during a deployment may bring changes to your hero’s attitude and outlook. The parent who stayed home may also have a short fuse from being the “only adult” at home. Remember Ephesians 5:1-2, “Be imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you . . . .” Challenges will arise, but continue to show grace and compassion toward each other.
You just spent a year apart, now is the time to enjoy togetherness. Get off the computer. Put down your phone. Go out. Talk. Make time for each other. Celebrate the gift God has given you.
God Squad 