Saturday, May 7, 2011

Separation Anxiety....Really?

I caught a show a few days ago on TLC that had a spouse redesigning a house while his wife and kid was put up in a hotel for three weeks. Was kind of fun to see his take on what he thought she'd like, but I really eye-rolled when they kept bawling over how they were going to be apart for three weeks. Really, three whole weeks? Do people actually get that worked up about such a short time apart? Three weeks strikes me as a little vacation where you get to do your own thing for a bit.

Clearly, my military lifestyle has changed my outlook on many things.

P.S. I feel the need to add that my marriage has always been about time apart, starting with right after we were engaged, so I have never not had that part of my life (until we moved here, however, but the damage has been done!). So, I just don't have the same perspective at all.

In an unrelated note, I spent some time perusing creative kids' bunk beds today. I've always wanted to do our kids' room up fancy, but have yet to live somewhere where that was possible (we might have done so in WA, but by the time Oscar showed up, we really didn't have any real time living there to make it worth it). So, when we return to the States, it will be a great time to do so. We'll be wherever we land for five years, so I can see doing it then. And they are both old enough to have opinions on what they want. I've got a whole space theme worked out in my head, complete with a black magnetic wall with glow in the dark star magnets, and a space shuttle bed, but we'll see if they agree by the time we move.

4 sonar pings:

Jen said...

It's funny...before deployment, yes I found 3 or 4 weeks kind of unbearable. I even found duty days pretty flipping annoying. It's only now that I've done deployment that a day or a couple of days or weeks seems....I won't say a break or vacation....I would much rather be with him then not....but it seems normal and routine now. When he's home is when I feel a little out of routine :)

Ana said...

Yeah, vacation is probably not the best word for it because I would also rather have him home, but since I've learned to look on the bright side of such things, it does seem not bad at all. And sometimes we benefit from being apart - it makes us appreciate the together so much more.

emilysuze said...

A space themed room sounds really cool! I can't wait 'til we buy a house and settle down enough to make all of the painting and designing worth it!

And it's funny, just found out that hubby will be leaving two weeks after this baby is born (thankfully, he'll only be gone for three weeks) and I know it'll be a rough three weeks alone, but totally manageable. On the other hand, my friend, who recently had a baby, had her husband gone overnight for business and she almost didn't make it through a day and night on her own. I can't belittle her experience, but it is interesting how being a military spouse changes our perspectives on situations like these. :)

Emily Snow said...

I'm not a military wife, but my husband travels often. So I relate to your comments. I guess it's all about perspective. I laugh (inside) when I'm talking to a friend who is just "dying" because her husband is gone a day or two...I try to find the bright side of things while he's gone & I'm just very independent.