My husband is originally from Oklahoma. He arrived in Kentucky via the United States Army in the early 90's. As he was training to be a Cavalry Scout, I was pretending to play dodge ball at Northside. LOL. While posted at Fort Knox, he met a girl and got married. But it was with the birth of his son Bradley that Oklahoma permanently lost its native son to Kentucky.
Much of my husband's family still lives in the Southern Oklahoma/Dallas, TX area. On Friday, Tom's grandmother passed away after suffering a heart attack in Ardmore, Oklahoma. Unfortunately, my pregnancy prevented me from accompanying him on the 13 hour drive required to pay last respects to Memaw. Early Saturday morning, he left and headed west all by himself. :( Before he left, he gave me instructions on how we will keep connected while he is gone. We each promised to listen to our song before bed at night. He even remarked, "It will be like Fivel looking up at the stars on that movie." Of course, he was referring to "An American Tail" which I LOVED as a child. This adorable sensitivity is just one of the many things I love about this man.
They say absence makes the heart grow fonder, yet it's hard for me to imagine how I could possibly love my husband more. With him is where I feel most comfortable, most myself, and most loved. He really is my home. We feel very lucky to have found each other.
What I can say is that his absence this weekend has reiterated just how much joy he brings to my everyday life. He makes me laugh and softens my all-too-often sharp edges. My life is filled with happiness and hope these days, and this is ALL because of him.
So here I sit. Tom has been gone for approximately 30 hours and I am missing him something awful. At the same time, I can't help but think of how lucky I am that our separation is the exception rather than the rule. Think about what is happening in Japan, and how devastated and scared friends and family must be for their loved ones. And what about the men and women in the armed forces? They and their families must endure extended absences in extremely dangerous circumstances. I just can't imagine.
In the grand scheme of things, this is nothing.
But, indulge me. Do me a favor and give your loved ones a big hug and kiss tonight before bed. Let them know how much they mean to you while you can. Do it for me, and all the other much more deserving souls out there missing their mates.
"Anything less than mad, passionate, extraordinary love is a waste of time. There are too many mediocre things in life to deal with and love shouldn't be one of them"
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