Tuesday's Ten: Sweetness

There are many things that help me during long periods of "away" and I had many of them happen over the last week.  In no particular order:

1.  Hugs.  A simple touch can make a huge difference in a long day.  This is true for anyone, I think, but for a spouse whose Soldier is absent for a long time?  What a gift.

2.  Random moments of understanding.  When someone says "please tell your Soldier thank you," and they have actually served, it means so much.  When they understand that vast improvements in communication don't make up for having him home, it helps too.

3.  Chocolate.  Hey, I'm a girl.

4.  Anything marked "free" from USPS.  Something about that stampless mail just makes my day.

5.  A chat with a friend.  Over the phone, on Facebook, face-to-face in the middle of a huge shopping expo-- brief or long, conversations make a world of difference.

6.  A run of good songs on the radio.  Even if you have Pandora's amazing app (my personal favorite) or Sirius/XM in your car, sometimes there are a zillion songs in a row that you just can't stand.  Other days, your favorites join you the entire way through a hated chore or down a long highway.  (Today's gift-- Hallelujah.)

7.  Helpful friends.  I try really hard not to ask for a lot of favors, but sometimes I just can't be in two places at once.  When people love my kids and lend a hand?  Bliss.

8.  The sound of mowing.  And it's not me.  While I'd love for it to be My G out there making that buzz-buzz-drooooone sound, it's still pretty darn nice that we found a service that does a good job at a reasonable price.  Hmmm...maybe I'm not in such a hurry to fix that mower, after all.

9.  A good pros/cons list.  The suckiest thing during any away, for me, is when My G and I have decisions to make and we have to do it long-distance.  Some life decisions are hard enough when we are right here with each other and can just breathe in the silence of our thoughts.   But when those thoughts and worries and questions come in the middle of the night while we're alone?  This is where the list comes in handy, and helps us connect when we can talk again.

10.  Time.  The simple fact is, even as the "away" sometimes seems to last forever, they don't.  Each day, each week, even each hour in the nighttime, brings him closer to home.