You say goodbye, and I say hello...

Part of the Army life that never fails to continuously get to me is the revolving door of friends that it provides. Through friends you meet new people, then your friends move away and the people you met through them become your new current circle. Eventually they too will move away and once again the circle evolves. It forms a kind of 6 degrees of separation existence, although I have found usually 3 degrees are all you need to connect yourself to anyone else in the army life. It almost makes me think of the old Spirograph I had as a kid; each circle is its own but each is interwoven with the others.

In 1999 we met a couple that in 2001 moved away. Little did we know then, that 14 years later we would still be close friends with this couple, twice more share living in the same town, and they would be the chosen Godparents of our mini me! As they again prepare to move this fall, for the final time, it is hard to say goodbye knowing I will not see them weekly and mini me will lose a regular interaction with their 2 boys.  However, I am in no way worried that our friendship will suffer from the distance between us.

Like family, who has never been closer than 600 miles away, the friends you make in this military life are the family you didn't know you were missing.  Some of these bonds are stronger than others, and there are always going to be those select few you pray get orders out of here because they are a drain on you. For the most part though, I know I can travel pretty much anywhere in this nation and have at least one contact in any given state I am in. 

Today we gather again to throw some burgers on the grill, drink a beer, watch the kids run and play, and share stories as we say farewell to friends leaving next week. Those who have already been where they are headed will share tips and advice. After all, you never send one of your army sisters off into the world without some insider information! ;)  It's sad to see them go, but you just never know when one day you may again be stationed in the same location.  What a blessed life!