Me time...

So this post will be a little bit of a vent personally (nothing to do with the dogs, really). Chris is deployed to the field. He left Monday and will return next Friday for a quick couple days before redeploying. Now, granted, the field and the NIE are nothing like actual deployments that stretch out for months on end. Actually, Chris and I have yet to endure a deployment together (he completed three before we met). But lately, I have been hearing a lot of Army spouses being really miserable that their significant other is gone. I even read a blog today where one Army spouse proclaimed herself as "Wonder Woman" for surviving the beginning months of a deployment. Like I said, I have not endured months on end without Chris and I do love him more than anything. I do miss him while he's training and he is my best friend. My favorite part of the day is the end when we crawl into bed and talk. But I guess my point is, if being separated from your significant other is debilitating, then you aren't doing enough.

I work 50 hours a week, am pursing a master's degree, swim, run and play recreational softball in my free time which takes three nights a week. We also have two dogs (not kids, but close enough). Then there's the house: dishes, laundry, sweeping and dusting if I get really bored. I don't "search for sleep" when I get into bed alone at night, I am basically asleep before I hit the sheets. And if I ever do find a moment of quiet, mindless relaxation, it is welcomed and cherished, not dreaded. I do miss Chris more than anything when he is away, and I obviously prefer him being home, but I push myself to pack my days so full that I am completely exhausted. I don't have time to feel weepy or depressed or overwhelmed. There just isn't enough time. So the washing machine overflows, call it in. The garage door won't open, fix it. The car needs an oil change, do it. Chris is honestly one of the few people that I actually NEED in my life. I have always been fiercely independent and I don't understand how you could be anything else AND live the military lifestyle. Spouses and significant others are alone so often and unexpectedly that it has to be a way of life. We know what was coming when we signed up for this.

So I suppose that's my soap box for the day. And our dogs did manage to get in this one after all. Bottom line: if you're crying yourself to sleep because you're alone, then you still have too much energy left over. Get a hobby.