How to Survive Separation

I really wish someone would've told me that the farewell after R&R would be much harder than the "main" goodbye. All I heard was, "Oooooooh, It's SOOOO great to have your soldier home, you'll have the BEST two weeks EVER!" Actually, the two weeks were the best ever, but the anticipation leading up to and prior to the goodbye were really bad. REALLY.

So, Maybe your spouse doesn't leave for a year at a time. Maybe it's more like two days or two weeks, but it's difficult! I decided to give my unsolicited advice.

Top Five Survival of Separation Tactics:

5: Anticipate that you WILL cry, and it WILL suck. Bring Kleenex, don't wear makeup, unless you really go for that Tammy Faye look.
4: Get into survival mode, and stay there. This isn't time to be supermom, superco-worker, or family member of the year. DO the minimum, and like it that way. My twins were dirty for the 48 hours after my man left-- baby food in the ears kind of dirty. But they were happy, cared for, and they weren't neglected.
3: Don't plan what your final words will be. That's WAY too cheezy, plus, you'll be far too emotional to remember how it's supposed to go, and say something like "Please time me at any call of the night," or, (like I did) "Don't play with heroes." I meant to say, "Don't BE the hero." Ugh.
2: Get pizza on speedial, and you can go without counting calories for 48 hours. Relax.
1: Cry. Cry when you need to, cry when you don't want to. GET emotional, for hell's sake. Granted my B&J Phish Food Ice Cream would've tasted better without salty tears, but I considered it part of the experience. Sitting on my kitchen floor, back against the cabinets, I ate a full pint of Ben and Jerry's, sobbing, then laughing that I was sobbing where I was, then sobbing harder then before as I remembered WHY I ended up slumped on the kitchen floor.

This is what made the hurt "so good." If I didn't love my husband as much as I do, would I feel this way when he had to go? Probably not.