My husband is a pretty laid back and chill guy. He’s not the type of person you’d expect to head straight for an impending hurricane or drive to the Florida epicenter of a pandemic. Yet, because of his role as a flight surgeon in the Florida Army National Guard he does just that. He’s currently in Lakeland, FL with a lot of other National Guardsman. Each member has a role that’s deemed essential during a time of emergency. During normal times, he is a family physician. During a State of Emergency my husband is leading a double life.
Like most husbands, mine has his family as his first and primary focus. His desire to keep us safe and secure is his top priority. However, when the Army calls, he must answer. When Hurricane Michael was teasing us with his frequent pivots and cone of uncertainty, Barry was hunkered down in a high school gym that later lost its roof and was severely damaged. The kids and me? Well, we packed up our priceless belongings, two dogs and headed to Mobile, Alabama to a few different AIRBNBs while we waited to see how our home and husband fared. (Did I mention I was a month out from my bilateral mastectomy and reconstruction?)
I’m not even a real military wife. My husband is home almost all the time and drills one weekend a month. He’s yet to be actually deployed but has activated for at least two weeks a year the entire time he’s been in the Florida National Guard. This activation is supposed to be at least 31 days. During this activation I’m the only one navigating this weird new normal of virtual learning. My middle son that struggles with focus and finishing his work? Yeah, I’m the only one here to deal with that. No tapping out, no backup. FaceTime helps, of course, but it’s not the same. I may not be a full time military wife but during a State of Emergency my husband is leading a double life.
