Skype

Since Joe left over a month ago, Skype has become a member of our family. It's interesting to look back on each time Joe has deployed and note the differences in communication. When he deployed in 1996, there were few means available in Bosnia for soldiers to communicate except writing letters and an occasional expensive phone call. I remember receiving an 800 Deutsch Mark phone bill for calling Joe at the embassy in Croatia and almost passing out from the amount! I've kept the stacks of cards and letters from that deployment, filled with the mundane tasks of soldier life as well as a few sweet nothings, all tied up with a ribbon. When he deployed to Iraq, we had two 15 minute phone calls each week, e-mail, video teleconferences at the unit, and a very small stack of cards and love notes. Big difference in communication technology between the first deployment and the second! This time, the communication is both better and worse. Skype: Better! Snail mail: Antiquated! Skype has been a lifesaver for us and I praise the Lord for the person who invented it (I don't think Al Gore can claim this one! Ha!) As soon as Jordan comes home from school each day and sees me at the computer, he'll ask me to check if Joe is on Skype. It's made Joe seem less far away: to hear his laugh, to laugh with him, and talk to him as though he's right here with us has made the transition much smoother. I've not had to comfort Jordan in the middle of the night, crying for his dad, or watch Alex moping around the house because they both have the opportunity to talk with their dad almost everyday as though he never left. Extended separations are common occurrences in the lives of almost every military family. So what is the worth of something like Skype to a family like ours? You only have to look at Jordan's face in the photo to get the answer. Priceless.