If My Heart Is Breaking, What Does Hers Feel Like?

Here is one woman's letter from the BringHomethe172nd.org website:

My name is [her name was removed by the site administration] my husband is a soldier in the U.S. Army who is deployed in Iraq. I am sure you are aware of the 172nd United States Army Brigades deployment being extended. But what you are not hearing about is the way it is affecting the actual soldiers and there families. I am the wife of a U.S. Soldier and I am proud of that. However the way we have been treated recently makes me and many of the 172nd wives very upset to say the least.

Our husbands were due home any day. Alot of there equipment and supplies had been packed up and were on there way home. My kids and I had made t.shirts to wear when we would pick up daddy saying how much we missed him and how happy he was home and safe. We had made signs. We had cleaned the house. My boys who hate to clean helped saying "Won't daddy be so proud of us?" We went grocery shopping and bought all of the good stuff that daddy loves. We bought stuff to make special cookies and pies and cakes. We were ready for him to come home. We had spent the last year waiting for these final days and now they were finally here.

Then we get the news, the news that our husbands won't be coming home. They are being extended. They don't know where they will be going and they don't know when they will be home. They just know that they aren't coming home anytime soon.

My world came crashing down. I sat down and cried, I didn't know what else to do. How was I going to keep going by myself. I had already spent a year away from my best friend, my huband and now they want to keep him longer. My family is all the way on the other side of the country. I am alone. All I have is my kids. Ohhh, how am I going to tell my kids?

President Bush said the soldiers have to stay in Iraq, but he didn't have to feel my heart breaking. He didn't have to look into my kids eyes and tell them that there daddy isn't coming home. He doesn't have to live on edge constantly and fear everytime the phone rings. He is not loosing hair, having anxiety attacks, constant diarhea, and sick to his stomach every minute of everyday. I try to act happy and "normal" for my kids sake, but its all fake. Inside I feel like I am dying. I love my husband and I am proud of the work he does. However I feel he has done his job over there and now it is time for him to come home to his family. Please, I beg for your help to get our loved ones home.