"I'm losing it, I'm exhausted": The complex reality of reservists' wives
A reservist's wife, who was informed that her husband's call-up order was extended once again, shared a heartbreaking recording in which she described the difficulties she is facing. The children who absorb the frustration: "The child asked why I hate him" - and the feeling of helplessness: "I will just continue to lose it, it doesn't matter anymore. This is what you have to do."
News headlines often talk about the burden placed on reservists over the last 3 years; many have performed hundreds of days in uniform, from the Gaza Strip to Lebanon and Syria, and also in operations in Iran. But the transparent voice that is heard less is that of the reservists' wives, who are forced to deal with the difficulty of raising their children alone, managing the house, and perhaps also the business, while the husband is sent to protect the country.
With rare candor, a reservist's wife shared yesterday, Tuesday, an exposed and painful recording, after her husband informed her that although he was finally supposed to return on Thursday, his commanders notified him that he was not being released, and extended his order by another week. The woman wrote: "I am not proud of this - but this is how I reacted when my husband informed me two days before the end of the round that it was being extended by a week and he was not returning on Thursday as we had promised the children."
"Why do you hate me so much"
With a voice choked with tears, the reservist's wife said in the recording:
"Do you understand that the children weren't even with you for a minute this summer vacation? They know that on Thursday you finish reserve duty. Enough already, I have no strength, they have no strength. Always two days before you return from reserve duty, I lose it, and now you tell me that you are extending it by another week."
The conversation between the couple took place deep into the night. According to the woman, she can already "not breathe" and her condition has deteriorated to the point that one of her children said to her, "Why do you hate me so much?" "I can't function, I'm constantly on the phone, answering calls on speakerphone, trying to manage unexpected events, manage the schedule, it seems like a million messages, I'm also trying to work at the same time, I can't do everything," she said.
In what sounds like helplessness, she ended the recording with an understanding of the situation - but also with deep frustration:
"I really can't take it anymore. The child also woke up, he didn't understand why I was yelling, he got scared. Forget it, this is what you have to do, I will just continue to lose it, it doesn't matter anymore. This is what you have to do."
