Today is a very bittersweet occasion here at the CbsoP campus. It marks the end of the most remarkable time that we have had as a family in our new home and the beginning of something greater. It was a day full of laughter and tears. It was a time for new traditions and memories. Today is the day that my wife returned to Turkey.
It was about ice cream for breakfast. Lots of it. With whipped cream. It was about memories of the past two and a half weeks of fun, food and bonding that we did not have the chance to do as a family when we moved in. For the first time in the history of our family the four men of the Russell household bade farewell to our home’s most important member as she left to do something greater than even she believes she is doing.
Her time here wasn’t wasted. There was a flurry of cooking, with recipes from the Far East, the Mediterranean, South America and the Deep South. There were oohs and ahhhs from everyone over one dish or another, and many will be featured here in the next few days.
We laughed. A lot. We bonded. We spent time together and went to events. We cried. In short, we relived the last seven months of our lives in a very short time. “Mom” the myth became “Mom, the nurturing mother.”; no longer just a face on a computer screen.
The kids love her. I love her. We all miss her to the point of insanity. Suddenly losing a mother does that to kids… Especially when that mother is a very, very good one. But in the process she has given us a whole new family tradition.
Ice cream for breakfast.
From this point in time forward, if ever there is a time when one family member will be away for a long period of time, there will be ice cream for breakfast. There will be laughter and stories and good wishes. Because the alternative is gloomy, and this is not a conducive environment for kids. It’s bad enough to say goodbye to your mother for 6 months without having to worry about eating a well balanced breakfast. So why not go all the way and just go for dessert?
It works for us.
Other than that the long wait has begun again. Until then, we will fly a yellow ribbon and wish for a safe and healthy return.
Peace out Y’All. I’m done for the day.
Keep our men and women abroad in your thoughts and prayers. It’s all that they ask.
Out of a difficult time, your family now has a new tradition that will always be part of who you are — the family that eats ice cream for breakfast! Lovely.
.-= Lydia (The Perfect Pantry)´s last blog ..Ground beef (Recipe: Chinese "spaghetti and meat sauce") =-.
What a beautifully written and poignant post for a loving family.
.-= Joan Nova´s last blog ..The Semi-Homemade Salad of Atonement =-.
@Lydia,
I think it’s the perfect tradition. In the future there will be more deployments, kids leaving for camp and college. On every one of these days there will be ice cream for breakfast and a round of smiles and warm memories instead of tears.
@Joan Nova,
Thanks. considering how I was feeling when I wrote it, I’m surprised that it was even coherent!
@Kellypea,
I do my best. I know me… Sometimes I wonder why she puts up with me. I just do my best. this was the best choice for our family as a whole so the time apart, while painful and inconvenient as hell, has worked for the better. I just hope that I live up to the challenge as well as she has.
Okay, so I should be grinning about the ice cream for breakfast, but I’m bawling my head off. I swear Jerry. You’re such a grand hubs. Hugs to you and your family. There’s no way I could do it. I barely survive tax season each year.
.-= kellypea´s last blog ..Michael Voltaggio’s Indian-Spiced Short Ribs =-.
I found your post for the flat bread and read this one about ice cream… Eat on my family of the deployed! Having been deployed to Incerlik twice, I fell in love with Turkish food. Thank you for you blog and recipes. Hang in there Dad, Mom will be back before long and new traditions will abound. By the way, did she by chance make Shephard’s Salad for you? That’s the recipe my husband craves the most. Thanks again ;-)
Anna,
Thanks for the kind words. I didn’t get to try the shepherd’s salad, but it is on the list for when we hit Elmendorf. Down to just under four months now, so we’re on the downhill slope for sure. We’re keeping the home fires burning here. Thank you for your service as well!