11 Months Down

Today marks eleven months from when J was first deployed.  I don't have a lot to write today, but I feel like a small post to celebrate the milestone is warranted.  

It's funny the things I find myself thinking about as we get closer to the end.  As time passes, I occasionally allow myself to get lost in my dreams.  There is one memory that keeps springing to mind, an evening where we went to see a horse race.  While waiting for a race to begin, I leaned over the fence separating us from the track, and like the nincompoop that I am, dropped my purse over onto the other side.  I didn't know how to get it!  I could never reach.  I imagined trying to hook my feet into the fence as I dove over for my purse.  Then J, with his long long arms, affectionately smiled at me and effortlessly reached over the fence and picked up my purse.  J is a real superhero!  

I don't know why this memory always springs to mind when I dream about J coming home.  I think it's because it was so simple.  This single moment that reminds me of how J loves me even though I do ridiculous things, like drop my purse over a fence or pour coffee onto an upside-down mug, it reminds me that J and I are a team in whatever little obstacles life could throw our way, and it reminds me that facing life with the person you love often makes the difference between frustration and laughter.  

In those moments when I let myself be carried away in my dreams, I try to imagine life after this deployment.  This deployment feels like a long dark hole, but with eleven months down, it almost feels possible that this deployment could someday come to an end.  When I dream of this end, I dream about trips and adventures, but more than anything, I dream about all those little moments that are made wonderful when shared with the person you love.

So, my big 11-Months-Down toast is this: 

Celebrate the little moments, the random hugs, the loving smiles, and the joy of not facing life alone.

11-Months-Down Toast