Week One

It's been a week tonight that I kissed my husband and said good-bye to him.  I have done very well this week and have remained positive.

I made a set schedule and kept busy, was productive at home on the days I had no other activities and have been feeling very good about everything.  Every night I mark another day off the monthly calendar and every morning I flip the blocks around on the daily calendar to mark another day.

Tonight, as I finished up and turned the lights out in the kitchen, I looked at the clock. 8:26 p.m.  At that moment it had been almost exactly, to the minute, a week since I'd seen Nick. For the first time during that week, I felt overwhelmed at the weeks that stretch out before me.

I forgot my own advice for just a moment. I always tell people, "Don't look at the whole chunk of time, it's too overwhelming. Instead, take a month at a time, plan something to look forward to during that month, and it helps." 

I'll be okay. It's just a weak moment. I have lots of good friends and activities to keep me distracted. I have surrounded myself with things that make me feel good.

 It's only nine months, right?  It's not 12 or 15 months anymore. Don't mind me, I'm just having a poor me moment. I'm going to bed and will awaken refreshed and ready to face another week.

I'd love to hear from others what makes deployments less painful. Keeping busy? Distracted? Counting days? I'm open to suggestions!!