Military Wife = Single Mom

I can't believe it! We just got word that my husband will most likely be going away again soon. I have felt nauseous all day since hearing the news. I'm still praying for a miracle like cancelled orders or at least postponement. This is just a horrible time to be separated; what with a new school year, a baby just starting to crawl, and a new dog in the house! Still, this is the life we signed up for. The funny thing is I never envisioned myself here. After we married my husband quit the military because I told him flat out that I could not handle the lifestyle. I didn't want to raise our children by myself while he was gone months at a time. Little did I know there was no escaping our destiny.

Today we are fully invested in the military life and for the most part its a good life. We have job security, great healthcare, community support and lots of other benefits. The biggest downside is the separations. Every time they come up I think I'm going to crash and burn. Life is chaotic enough when we are working as a team and it can get crazy when you have to go solo. Over the years I've developed great empathy for the real single moms out there. I personally know what its like to bundle everyone up in the middle of the night to get a sick child to the ER. Spend the night in the waiting room trying to keep the healthy kids entertained and the sick kid calm. Come morning you still have to race around with the usual routine; school, meals. laundry etc.. There is no backup, no one to pick up the slack and give you a break. By the grace of God I've grown stronger from each experience, but still its hard. Every time I think about going back to work full-time something like this happens to remind me why working from home is the best option for my family right now.

There are some good things about the separations, like I get COMPLETE CONTROL over everything in the home. Should I give into the kids request for pizza? Hmmm, no one to consult but myself. Maybe I'll experiment with moving the furniture around...no one here to change it back. Did I fall behind on the housework because I got sucked into reality tv? Don't need to confess that to anyone. Of course, when my husband returns there is always a rough adjustment period. The kids and I will be used to the rules of my monarchy, but with dad back in the picture its once again some kind of democracy. There are usually some skirmishes, followed by a bloodless coup, and then finally a treaty signing, but that's another topic in itself. For now its time to dig in, remember that God has never given more than I can handle, and cherish this time with my children.