Romantic?

I think when a lot of people think of military families they think it sounds so romantic... They think of long love letters sent back and forth (I hear over and over again, "but you really find out a lot about a person through letters don't you?" Believe me, I can think of better ways to get to know my husband than by having him gone for months at a stretch with my only tangible contact to him being letters, thanks). People think of long last embraces and tearful goodbyes. Homecomings and 1940s pictures of a Sailor kissing his girl.

It's really not all it's cracked up to be. It's not all roses and champagne. Sometimes, it's downright tedious. Think--car repairs that you suddenly get to figure out on your own, panic about getting taxes done without a special power of attorney (the one the command forgot to tell us we needed to have), months and months of being the only on available to tend to the crying baby at night. No Daddy coming home at the end of a long day to give Mom's arms and patience a break.

When he's home there are long watches that keep him away from us during what is supposed to be 'time off.' There are late nights when a tool goes missing and they have to tear things apart to find it. Uniform inspections that take time to prep for, and on and on and on.

Sounds pretty sexy doesn't it?

But we do have our romance. There are the flowers that husband has made sure come to me once a month just because even though he's gone... there's the building anticipation of the reunion, the thought of another 'honeymoon.'

I really think the best thing this lifestyle has given to our marriage is the understanding that we can't take one another--and the time we have together--for granted. When we are together, we're joyful about it. We soak in the time that we get. We guard it jealously. We try to make the time count extra to get us through the next separation.

Birthdays, Christmas, Valentine's Day--those extra special days when the whole world is gooey-eyed with romance? They become devalued in favor of the regular old days together. Why celebrate our time together and as a family on just holidays? There's always a strong chance that we won't be together for these supposed 'more special' days. We haven't shared a single birthday or anniversary together yet. Our holidays have been hit or miss.

We celebrate Saturdays spent hiking at a state park, the rare date night that we're given by friends willing to babysit, Sundays when we can go to church together, and meals that we get to cook together. Those are the gooey-eyed, extra special days to us. We're forced to appreciate one another during the time that we have. And we do. So how's that for romantic?