How It's Done

Yes, my husband is gone right now. Yes, he'll be gone for five-ish more weeks. Yes, it stinks and yes, we miss him. No, I'm not crying my eyes out.

There are certain people that are very close to us that seemingly can't wrap their minds around the fact that I can survive without my husband. The fact that there is zero military presence here is really showing this week. "Civilians", as we like to call them, can't seem to grasp this whole concept. Just because I'm able to go about my day and function as a normal human being without him here doesn't say a darn thing about how much I love him.

It's pretty cut and dry in my world. He had to leave for six weeks. End of story. If I cry when he leaves and promise to mope around the entire time he's gone, The Man isn't going to change his mind and say he can stay. In my way of thinking, he's leaving either way so I may as well make the best of it. The time sure goes much faster if I do.

Now I realize that we're fairly lucky. We get to talk to him, however brief it is, every day. I am painfully aware that there are thousands of husbands, wives and children that go to sleep each night praying that their family member is safe. I get that. I realize that we're lucky in that respect, but even those people handle such situations in a similar manner. You gotta do what ya gotta do. You may not like it but it has to be.

So next time someone asks me if it's been "three weeks" when it's only been one and gives me those sympathetic eyes I may just come unglued. Please try not to make me feel like the most heartless wife on the planet just because I'm not in mourning over the fact that my husband is gone for a few weeks.