Student handles long-distance military relationship
Autumn Harris endures military challenges although she is not an enlisted soldier.
The Corunna sophomore maintains a long-distance relationship with her boyfriend Ryan Hovis, who is stationed at an Army base in Kuwait.
Although Harris has been in other long-distance relationships, she said nothing can compare to dating someone in the military. They are able to keep in contact through Facebook and phone calls, but she said nothing is ever certain.
“It’s definitely a different dynamic to a relationship,” Harris said. “You find yourself spending a lot of time being alone when most people would have given up. It’s not just for giggles and you really have to know that the relationship is worth waiting for.”
Having a cousin who has been deployed three times, Harris said she has heard how challenging it can be to be overseas during special holidays. She wanted to do something for her boyfriend and his unit for Christmas.
Harris and several of her friends got together Saturday at her apartment to make about 200 cards to send to Kuwait and show their support and appreciation.
“It’s so awful to think that (soldiers) don’t know if people in America appreciate the things they are doing,” Harris said. “I wanted to do something to change that and instill some hope and extra morale.”
Muskegon junior Courtney Zobl knows Harris through Alpha Gamma Delta sorority and helped to make cards.
“I know it really hits close to come as well as (with) thousands of other Americans," Zobl said. "It’s great when people take a minute out of their schedules to thank and remember those serving overseas."
Autumn Grey, a junior at Oakland Community College went to high school with the couple and said Harris handles the distance well despite how hard it is on her.
Grey said she would have never seen the match coming in high school, but she knows both of them personally and thinks Harris handles the distance well.
“It takes a strong person to deal with a relationship in the (military),” Grey said. “However, instead of being sad, Autumn thinks of ways to help him overseas.”
The cards will be sent to Hovis and he will distribute them to his friends and other units. He told Harris many of the soldiers are already looking forward to their card.
The units are in training camp doing different reaction scenarios and training before being sent to Afghanistan. and they will be there between 10 months to a year.
Harris said 100 other cards are being sent to her before she mails them in December. For more information on her project or to participate, Harris can be contacted via e-mail at harri4aj@cmich.edu.
