Andy deployed yesterday morning, and it is just finally sinking in. As I folded his laundry and put his things in the dresser, I thought, he won't wear these again for at least seven months. Uggh. That seems like forever right now. I know that once we get into a routine the time will fly by. But today it seems like eternity. So the question is, do I start a deployment return tracker? Do I tick off the days and watch the time get smaller?
We had to memorize the "days" as a Plebe at the Naval Academy. How many days until parents' weekend, how many days until Thanksgiving, Christmas, spring break, graduation. I hated counting those days. Although the days passing indicated that we were moving towards something good, the sheer magnitude of the days left always depressed me. I think that may be why Plebe year seemed like the longest year of my life.
I don't want these seven months to be the longest of my life--I want them to be lived, not just survived.
Thankfully, I have a sweet little happy boy to keep me occupied. Nicholas is so much fun--full of so much excitement and wonder. It is really only during his nap times and after he goes to bed at night that I have time to contemplate this time that stretches out like the shore of an empty beach at the end of a winter day.
Let's just count this day. One day, to enjoy, to play, to live.
Baby is stirring, what games can we play today?
...and this is what we played! Bubbles!
