These Are Some Good Times

As our time on Okinawa came to an end, Alan and I both noticed a certain song was on repeat in our heads - "You're gonna miss this.  you're gonna want this back.  You're gonna wish these days hadn't gone by so fast.  These are some good times, so take a good look around - you may not know it now, but you're gonna miss this."  The thing that made it so difficult, though, is I think we do know it now. We know that we were greatly blessed with opportunity through that assignment, and that we are going to miss that island paradise for, many reasons.  So that you aren't here all day, I have narrowed it down to the top 5 reasons I will miss Okinawa. 

1.  We were safe.  No one was going to kidnap my children.  They could play outside, go to the bathroom by themselves, walk to school, be five aisles over from me in the BX, and they would be safe.  Can I tell you how good that feels?  To be in a place where I don't have to worry about someone taking my kids?  Now, to be clear, there was always a chance they could get hurt, but there was never the chance they would get stolen.  And aside from the possibility of an SF officer losing it, there was no risk of someone barging into their school, or theater or anywhere and opening fire.  Sure, the remote possibility was there, but I never once worried about it.  But I read about it happening numerous times in America while we were away.  To be fair, guns aren't allowed in Japan, so obviously that has a lot to do with it.  And I am definitely not advocating removing our right to bear arms.  I own a gun and would prefer to keep it.  I just wish we didn't have so many assholes running around who ruined it for everyone.

2.  Our friends rocked.  It's not like we thought we would be there forever - we live a military life and this ain't our first rodeo.  But it sure doesn't get easier to leave.  You might think that knowing we will eventually part ways, we wouldn't get so attached, but the opposite is actually true, I think.  Especially overseas.  We have many friends already in Washington, DC, so I know that I have amazing friends there, too (some of them are even the same ones I had in Okinawa!).  But God's timing was perfect, of course, with the friends he put in my path in Okinawa.  They were wonderfully caring friends who were shining examples of what people should be.  I lived, laughed, loved and learned with them and there are a handful whose friendship I will treasure forever.  They lifted me up when I needed it, ran beside me when I needed it, helped strengthen my faith when I needed it, loved on my family when we needed it, poured me a glass of wine when I needed it and danced with me when I needed it.  I'll miss Friday nights at Hog Heaven and the O'Club or Mr. Pat & Mrs. Monica's, Sunday mornings at Chapel 1 and lunch at the Tee House or Seaside, pedicures at Cocok's, wine on the patio, running down Douglas, and combing the beaches for treasure.  All with great company.  I look forward to the day our paths cross again and I sincerely thank the women (and a couple of men) who fulfilled those roles.  Here are just a few of them:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3.  I was spoiled.  Exploring a foreign culture, working as a stay-at-home mom, having a fantastic mamasan who cleaned and babysat and became family, pedicures every couple of weeks, getting a year-round tan on some of the most beautiful beaches in the world, SCUBA diving some of the world's best reefs, trips to Hong Kong, Tokyo, Australia, Kyoto...sheesh!  Life was good.  Not that it won't be good somewhere else, but I have a feeling it won't be "Okinawa good."  I appreciate how good I had it and am thankful.  Don't get me wrong - it wasn't all rainbows and unicorns.  There were a lot of sacrifices that came along with those perks, but I definitely recognize that there were a lot of perks.  Has anyone dove the Potomac River lately?  I didn't think so...And did I mention the PEDICURES??  Oh my gosh, those are something I am going to miss for sure!  If I could have packed up Kaori and brought her with me, I would have! 

 

 

 

4.  The beaches were breathtaking.  We're beach people, so this one's really going to hurt.  In a matter of minutes, we could get from our house to a gorgeous beach.  I mean gorgeous.  Port Aransas and Myrtle Beach just won't cut it anymore.  We made so many memories as a family on the beautiful beaches of Okinawa, and I hope we can at least come close somewhere new.  The views, the sounds, the sea glass, the search for glass floats, the snorkeling, the "camping", the birthday parties...we're definitely going to miss those beaches. 

5.  We will probably never go back there.  When we left San Antonio, of course we knew we would go back there.  When we left Jacksonville, Colorado Springs, and Omaha, there was always the possibility of going back, even if it was just on vacation or driving through to elsewhere.  But we will likely never go back to Okinawa.  It's far and it's expensive, so unless one of our children joins the military one day and is stationed there, we will probably never return.  There is something about the finality of it that makes me miss it even more.  It was such a unique place.  It's hard to believe that after spending so much time there, after so much happened in our lives while we were there, that we will just move away and never return.  It makes me sad.  Maybe one day after Alan retires and we have an empty nest, we'll catch a hop that gets us back to Oki.  One day...But until then, we'll do what we do every time - make the best of the new place! 

 

Here's to Okinawa, which will always hold a little piece of my heart.  And here's to Washington, D.C., which has big shoes to fill but I'm sure can live up to the task.