Sadness:

I woke yesterday with a sadness that at first I couldn't put a name to, but then it dawned on me... it was the day Kent was flying to his deployment. The sadness just popped on so suddenly. I know most people would think "you have a right to be sad, your husband is leaving", but in my mind the sadness is more for him, and not for me. Let me explain...

One of the things that I have come to realize as a military wife is that life keeps going no matter where your husband is. I get up every day and things have to be done.

I get the kids out of bed, I fix their lunches, and I make sure they have everything for school. I spend the morning yelling up the stairs "hurry up, you are going to be late"; asking endless questions "did you brush your hair?", "did you brush your teeth?", "are those yesterday's socks? or clean ones?", "did you turn off all the lights?", "did you feed the animals?". After they leave I turn my attention to myself and the house. I do up last night's dirty dishes, make a pot of coffee, grab breakfast, and check emails and Facebook. I throw in a load of laundry and manage to give the animals some attention too... a brushing for the cat, a belly rub for the dog. I make a list of what needs to be done for the day and head upstairs to get showered and dressed.

After I am ready for the day, I open my store. Then it's a quick trip over to the post office to check for mail and to send any orders out. I balance the books, balance the checkbook, do any special orders, stock the store, let the dog out, wipe down this, clean that, make phone calls, and place orders. Seriously... I could go on and on!

About the time I am ready to sit down for a break, I realize the kids will be home from school any minute... and then its "what do you have for homework?", "did you practice the piano?", and "what do you want for dinner?".

It's not like I don't think about Kent, or that I don't miss him... because I do! I'm busy. I guess that sums it up really; I am just plain busy! Thoughts flicker through my mind occasionally such as "I wish Kent could see this" or "Kent would think that was funny". But then I file it away... hopefully to remember to mention it to him when I talk to him on the computer or the phone.

When something in the house breaks, when something needs to be hung up, or replaced, or refilled... it's me that does it. I wish sometimes that I could say "can you do this for me?", or "could you please fix that?" but right now it's just me. I get the tools and I do it.

At night, it's the bedtime routine; the kisses, the "good night, I love you!" and the "have good dreams!". Then I take a few minutes to take stock of how the day went, and to go over what needs to be done the next day.

Sometimes there is the moment of self-pity... I miss my husband. I get lonely. I want to curl up with him on the couch and share the day. I want to be able to laugh with him and tell him the funny things that happened. We make do with talking on the phone. I like to watch the kids share their most recent bit of news with him; they get so excited! They fight over who is going to tell him what. We share what we remember with him. And then our life goes on...

Kent, on the other hand, is missing out on the routines. He gets to hear the stories, and about the events... but he isn't there for the inside jokes, the funny incidents, or the craziness of the day. He is the one I feel the sadness for. It breaks my heart that he is missing out on so many things.

To sum it up:

We, as a military family, do what we have to do. He, as a military man, does what he needs to do. I am so proud of him and his service... and I am humbled when people come up to him to thank him.

Kent is a good husband, a good father, and a good man. We hold on tight to the fact that his service will soon be over. That he will soon be retired and be home full time with us. He deserves it...

Ramblings about candy....

I went into the drug store today and as I was walking down the isle, I noticed Christmas candy on one side, and Valentines candy on the other. The Christmas candy was, obviously, marked down.

The Christmas candy was marked down to 75% off or something ridiculous... because the wrapper was red and green (or had Santa, a snowman, or Christmas tree, or whatever). Across the isle was the exact same candy with red and pink wrappers (with hearts, lips, etc...). And the sad part? The candy was probably made in the same factory at the same time, and expires on the same date.

What a country we live in... full of waste and indulgence. And I am not pointing any fingers because I am just as guilty as everyone else! There are so many people that are having financial issues right now (my family included), and we still feel we have to purchase so many seasonal items for our kids, family, or friends. After the holidays there is so much waste! It isn't just about candy... it's about everything in our country being disposable and easy.

I am not a fanatic, nor will I turn into a Martha Stewart able to recycle and hand-make every gift, wrapping, and bow. There are so many little things that everyone can do to waste less and to spend less money.

I resolve that I will try to do this throughout 2012, and share with you any ideas and tricks that I find!

Patti

It's a brand NEW YEAR!

One of the things I am resolving to do in 2012 is to post more frequently on my blog. I wouldn't say it is so much a New Year's resolution in itself, as it is a part of another resolution.

As many of you know, my husband is active duty military. He has been in for 22 years (as of Dec. 2011) and is trying desperately to retire. The house we bought here in Old Forge is our retirement home. Plans were that he was to finish his tour in Korea, do his year in Delaware and be home by the end of summer 2012. Due to some military red tape, and other details that I won't go into here, we have NO idea when they will actually let him retire. Best scenario would be November 2012; Worst scenario by the end of 2013. He is currently heading to a training session and then overseas to lead a team on another deployment.

We have had a very trying year in 2011... the struggles of financially supporting 2 households and a new business were more than we bargained for. Take the stress of being behind on all your bills, trying to make a success of a new business, being in a new town, throw in some car issues, family separation, and some medical issues that have arisen for my youngest son... and you have a recipe for stress and frustration.

So, the real New Years resolution for 2012? To find better and more productive ways to funnel out my stress and frustration. Many times just venting or sharing things that arise seems to help put the situation in perspective. So here I am, back at the computer, challenging myself to share with you my trials and tribulation instead of bottling it up inside me. I have been seeing a Therapist to help deal with these issues, to help gain an understanding of my youngest child's symptoms, and to help our family as a whole work through any problems that arise.

I have been doing a lot of reading and research lately. One of the things I found in an article about health was about being healthy on the inside. It said "Most people ignore their emotional health until there’s a problem. But just as it requires time and energy to build or maintain your physical health, so it is with your emotional well-being. The more you put in to it, the stronger it will be." So I am choosing to improve my emotional and inner well-being. I hope that any of my readers will feel confident to comment and share as I post throughout the coming year.

May you all be blessed in 2012 and never take for granted being together as a family!

Patti