When He is Away

When he is away, I have fewer clothes to clean.  I have less food to make.  Less food to buy.  I can do whatever I choose to do and don’t have to run it by another adult.

When he is away I can watch what I want to watch on the tv.  I can eat all the ice cream myself and don’t have to fill up the gas tank as often.

When he is away, I miss my best friend.  I miss sharing a meal.  I miss seeing him drink his nasty beer.  I miss asking another adult his opinion.

When he is away I miss his commentary while watching silly shows.  I miss driving around with him and going to fun places as a family.

When he is away I am the solo parent. I wake the children up, make sure they are fed and taken care of. I am the one that puts them to bed, alone. I take them where they need to go and check their homework. I am mom and dad and have a lot of roles to fill that were made for more than one person. When he is away I cry more and smile less. That’s the reality.

When he is away I can come up with things that make me feel better about it all but I miss him all the same.  Such is life as a military wife.  As I look at the years ahead and know they will be filled with separations I try to remember those times when he is with us and life does seem a little more normal.   I will cherish those times and keep those memories with me always as I know how hard time away can be.

I know that life will not always be this way. Someday he will always be home with us and I hope that when that day comes I will remember the days when he was away and never take him for granted.