A Romantic Gesture from the Otherside of the World

My husband and I have spent birthdays and special days apart may times in the past because of his career in the National Guard. Most often because a drill weekend required him to be out of town or his annual training took him out of state for a few weeks. We got used to it, made a phone call on that special day, and would look forward to seeing each other again when the weekend was over. Birthdays and other special days can be celebrated a few days early or a few days late, we were used to that. But never did I think that my husband would miss a whole year of them.

In the summer of 2004 my husband's unit deployed to prepare for Operation Iraqi Freedom. He went from the Pacific Northwest to Texas, then on to Louisiana. Our oldest was going into 3^rd grade and our youngest at the time was only 3 months old. By December they were overseas and in Iraq. We were always waiting for a phone call or a ring on the computer of an instant message. The webcam was our best friend - the closest we could get to seeing each other in person. We sent cards and care packages back and forth. I tried so hard to be both mother and father to our children, but I was getting tired.

When Valentine's Day 2005 came along, I tried to think of it as a normal day. But it was hard on account that I'm a school teacher and it's one of the most chaotic days of the year! The constant flow of flowers to the school for loved ones was never ending. I had received flowers on occasion from my husband in the past, but was never something I expected. I almost considered not going in that day.

By 9 am I had a vase of flowers on my desk with a simple note "Loving you from Iraq". I teared up, the students giggled and asked who they were from. I told them they were from my husband and then continued on with my lesson. At 10 am the same florist showed up at my classroom door with another vase of flowers, she didn't say a word. She just walked in and set them on my desk. I said to her that she had already delivered flowers to me. She just smiled and left. I walked over and looked at the note, "Missing you on Valentine's Day from Iraq".

I teared up again and this time the students didn't want to believe me that they were also from my husband. I thought that he must have had a friend arrange it or something and they accidentally ordered two. But then to my surprise at 11 am the same florist showed up and the cycle continued, every hour, the rest of the school day. Every note said something different. And every vase made me a little more teary eyed. By the end of the school day the deliveries were the talk of the school.

That evening my husband and I were able to web cam with the children. He was pleased with what he had pulled off. It was the most romantic day of my life after my wedding and weren't even on the same continent. The only thing that could have made it any better would have been to have him bring me the flowers himself. It's amazing how loved you can feel from so far away.