A Thousand Years

Well, there’s definitely no such thing as a stress free deployment, I can tell you that haha! But there are definitely things you can do to make it easier on yourself. The most important thing is to stay busy!!! I can’t stress that enough! If you just sit around all day doing nothing being sad and feeling sorry for yourself, the time apart is going to seem even longer. I make a “Deployment Bucket List” for when my husband is gone. It’s a list of things to do while he’s away that I never seem to have time to do while he’s here (hello summer reading!) or things that I’ve always wanted to try (a new activity, hobby, etc). I also work full time, which gets me out of the house 5 days a week and lets me interect with people instead of just sitting at home by myself. That’s actually how I met my closest friends here! So definitely plan things to keep yourself occupied...I promise you won’t regret it.Emails are the most likely form of communication, though I know some people are able to get onto Facebook and use messenger from time to time. But I wouldn’t count on that 100%...things are different from ship to ship. Whenever I email, I always keep things positive for my husband. I tell him about my day, what I did, what’s going on at my job, and the fun things I’ve planned to do with my friends. I never go on and on about how much I miss him or about how crappy it is that he’s gone, or anything like that. Even though that’s how I feel sometimes, it doesn’t do either of us any good to dwell on it. And if he’s going through stressful things or feeling down, again I stay positive and remind him that every day is one day closer to him coming home. That we’ve gotten through this before and we can definitely get through it again! That’s the main way I think you can be there for your sailor: always be supportive and positive.Remember there’s a whole community online and near your sailor’s base that can help you feel connected and grounded. Other milsos know what you’re going through better than any civilian and are a wealth of knowledge and tips. Hang in there and stay strong! You’ve got this!! :)

"Oh, the longer the waiting, the sweeter the kiss It's better my darling, I promise you this The next time I hold you, I'm not letting go I will give up the ocean forever, I know..."

"I'm a military wife and I hate this life, thought you should know it But when you come home I'll act like it's all good and never show it"