Things aren’t quite the same at our house. We took dh to the airport recently. We hugged goodbye and I tried to remain stoic as I climbed into the car and drove off. I could not cry. Tears threatened, but they did not fall. Tears can cause my eyes to sting and then I can’t see; that is not good for driving.

We came home and pursued school. I put airflight tracker on the pc and we tracked dh’s flight.  It's nice for the dc and I to be that much more connected to him, to know when he takes off and lands, and everything in between.  We can see which states he flies over and what storm systems he has to avoid.  If he calls later to say he has a delay due to weather, I can tell him exactly what the weather pattern is and where it is going.  Then he lands, and after that we move on.    

It’s not the same. No one to expect home and talk to. One plate less at dinner. The entire bed to myself. Waking myself up in the morning. Trying to get up out of bed and start the day without anything to look forward to. Well, that’s melodramatic. I try not to think about it. I start the morning in the Word and prayer. I tear myself from the bed to awaken the dc. I force myself to pursue the day. There is plenty to do to keep me busy.  My parents have long felt this is my best therapy for when dh is gone.  They feel I get too overdramatic about things.

I really have nothing to be depressed about. He will come home!  He calls every night! We have cell phones that allow us to talk daily from across the country, for this very reason. Although I am not a gadget person, I am thankful for this one. They are expensive and are rarely used, but they are priceless when he has to go out of town. The dc are teen agers now and that is a big help.  I am thankful for their daily presence in my lives.

He calls at night. We have good chats. We talk about how much crazier the traffic is there than here. We talk about the pond he found to take a walk around. We talk about how he pigs out on free food for lunch, then thinks about his waistline.  Then he eats soup and salad for dinner. The dc catch him up on the day. This is very good.  They go to bed with smiles on their faces. When he tells me goodbye, he tells me he loves me. Then the tears well up in my eyes again.

Praise God, I have much to be thankful for. Even so, things aren’t quite right around here.