Day 12; The Girlfriend Factor

My only recollection of a family member in the military is my paternal uncle (Mike) when he served in Viet Nam.  I was just a kid when he left, maybe 7 years old.  Other than that, all military stories in my head come from books and movies I have watched over and over (just ask both my boys and they will roll their eyes).  Top Gun, An Officer and a Gentleman, The Bridge Over the River Kwai, The Hurt Locker, and a few HBO miniseries are my personal ‘archives.’  In most of these movies/series, there is often the wife or girlfriend who waits for their man to return from the war.  For my soldier, he started a relationship with a girl only 2 months before his deployment.  She is a sweet thing, very bright, pretty, charismatic, and my soldier is pretty taken with her.  So one might ask:

--Is it wise to start a relationship right before you deploy for 400 days? 

--Is there a chance that this relationship could work? 

--Wouldn’t the odds be that the girl gets tired of waiting and (since she is only 20 years old) decides to move on? 

That seems to be the consensus of many, but I for one think the ‘girlfriend factor’ is a good thing.  My son is risking his life to serve his country; he is putting his social life on hold while he helps to fight for and protect our nation.  To have someone to write to, send emails, Skype, etc. is something to look forward to and I believe it gives our service men and women hope, to carry on and get the job done, and have loved ones to come home to. 

Of course there is the possibility that the relationship will not last, but that is true with any relationship.  My soldier knows the possibility of this happening, and he is going into it with his eyes open. 

The girl wrote to me in an email that she is crazy about him and that he is worth waiting for.  I know personally what a wonderful person my son is, and I know he is worth the wait.  My only worry is will she be worth risking his heart?  I hope she is as wonderful and sweet as she seems.  A broken heart is hard to mend and for a mother to watch her son in pain, mental or physical, is difficult.