The Positives That Come From A Deployment

By my calculations, deployments 99% are not enjoyable, but there are a few good things to come out of that 1%. I probably more focus on the bad part of a deployment (along with everyone else), because there are many more negatives than positives. But, in an attempt to put a positive spin having your spouse away for up to 12 months (or more) from you, here is a small list of the positive things (for me, at least) to come from a deployment:

• You don't have to shave your legs daily. Or your armpits. Or you bikini area. Fuck it, no one is seeing it but you, so who cares.


• You learn how to be more independent.


• You appreciate the little things in life.


• You don't take people for granted.


• You can do what you want, when you want, such as eating ice cream for breakfast, luch and dinner and dessert. (This is actually more of a negative, because you'd rather do even the mundane things with your spouse, but again, I'm trying to be positive here, and it's my list, so I'm putting it on the positive list. Deal!!)


• You learn how to open apple sauce jars. Ok, this one is pretty specific to me, but no matter how hard I try, I can NEVER open an apple sauce jar. It takes me approximately 3 days of trying, and loosening up the lid, me yelling at the apple sauce to just fucking open, and approximately 3 days of useless sentences in emails to Seth about how I still can't open the stupid apple sauce jar. Ohhh how I sooooo wish he were here to open it for me. Is that too much to ask for? I guarantee he could open it in like 2 seconds flat. Me? No, it takes like 5 minutes of trying over the span of 3 days and then hopefully on the 3rd day I'll get lucky. (And by this time, the apple sauce doesn't even taste as good as it was sounding 3 days before). Geeeez.


• Making care packages. This is by far my favorite thing a deployment brings (actually, it ties with not having to shave). I love buying him things and writing him love notes, and mailing it off to him. Anything I can do to help him out over there, and to show him I love him and I'm thinking about him, I am sooo willing to do.


• Fantasizing about, planning and experiencing the reunions and homecomings!! Falling in love all over again and kissing them like you've never kissed them before. The HUGS that come after a long time apart. It's the best feeling ever!


• The enormous amount of pride I have when I tell someone where my fiance is. I don't like that he is there, but I am sooo proud of him, and what he's doing, and I like having the chance to tell people how proud I am of him. I try to say it with a smile on my face.


• The stronger we become as a couple.


• You learn patience...patience with communication (or lack there of), patience with the military in general, patience with each other.

That's all I can think of right now.