Reasons why I WILL ROCK THIS DEPLOYMENT...

So this morning I slept in, well actually I slept until my alarm went off at 6am. I wanted to start back with my miracle morning routine but decided to catch up on sleep since yesterday was very emotional draining. 

But after my workout this afternoon as I was transferring music from my old laptop to my macbook I started thinking. I was thinking about how in the military community, we talk about how hard deployment can be, and then we say all kinds nice things to each other that don’t really mean too much.

So I decided to make myself a list of reasons why I WILL ROCK THIS DEPLOYMENT. 

1. Because the internet exists… and until just a decade or so ago, the easiest way to communicate was by phone… and before that, it was letters.

2. Because somewhere, someone has it worse than you, and they’re kicking this deployment’s butt.

3. Because some of our grandparents (or great-grandparents– lordy, I feel old) spent four years apart from each other without R&R to kick Hitler in the face.

4. Because care packages are fun to throw yourself into. 

5. Because there’s something cathartic about crying in the shower.

6. Because you can watch all the chick flicks and ugly cry & laugh at the same time

7. Because you can buy pre-made icing and eat it out of the tub with a spoon. (Oh, that’s just me?)

8. Because deployment is a great time to spend a little me-time improving on something or learning something new.

9. Because I’m here for you (and so are a lot of other military spouses)!

10. Because The Mindy Project, New Girl, The Big Bang Theory, Chicago Fire, AHS...I could go on. (Do I need to explain that any further?)

11. Because you don’t have to shave your legs! (And the peasants rejoiced.)

12. Because there are Ryan Gosling memes to help you through the tough times.

13. Because this is the perfect time to do all of the things that he’s (or she’s) not too keen on.

14. Because that homecoming kiss is pretty awesome.

15. Because the homecoming picture is pretty awesome, too.

16. Because if Brittany Spears made it through the 2000’s, you can make it through this. (And you haven’t even freaked out and shaved your head yet!)

17. Because you can set a career goal and work towards making it happen.

18. Because, Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Hulu.

19. Because this video exists and you can watch it for free… as many times as you want. Every day. Yes. Every day.

20. Because even though deployment feels like it lasts forever , it really will end. 

21. Because having something to look forward to is fun.

22. Because every time you feel like giving up and don’t, you’re getting stronger.

23. Because every time you give up, Nickleback releases a new single. Don’t let Nickleback release a new single.

24. Because of the kids.

25. Because asking for help is okay. 

WHAT DID I MISS? (THERE ARE DEFINITELY A LOT MORE REASONS!) I WANT TO HEAR ’EM!

No I won't put down my phone...

If you are on social media at all you know that there are quite a few articles going around about being on our cell phones too much. How we need to put them down, hide them, ignore them.

While there is some good advice there, my first thought is usually something like, “Well, try being a Military spouse.”

Between having kids in school and at home with me, having a husband who is gone a lot and making money online using my phone to do so, I will not be putting my phone down anytime soon. My phone is my lifeline and I really haven’t always had it. I didn’t even get a smart phone until 2010.

There are many reasons why people say we shouldn’t always have a phone in our hands, but Military spouses, well we NEED to have a phone in their hands.

Why? Because…

Our spouses live in our phone.

When your husband is gone and you only get to talk to them on the phone or over video chat, they live in your phone. That is your relationship. You are not going to be able to walk away from your phone for long. If you do, what happens if they call? You will miss the call. That is a hard thing to deal with. Thank God for technology and cell phones. Without them I would never be able to leave the house, because I'd fear missing his call. It would kill me to come home to a message knowing I missed his call. It was SO nice to know I won’t miss his call just because we were out doing something. So no, I am not going to put my phone down so I miss his call.

Our friends live in our phone.

Military spouse friends move away. Then they live in our phones, they live on Facebook and that is where our relationship is. I have a handful of friends I will text or message throughout the day. It keeps us connected and makes it seem like they are not quite as far away. When you are having a bad day, it can be helpful to pick up your phone and text a friend or check out their photos on Facebook. It makes you feel better and can keep your mind off of missing your husband.

Our family lives in our phone.

Only a small amount of Military families live close to their own family. Most of us live far enough away that the phone is the way we communicate with them. Text or FB messager is a great way to keep in touch and not lose contact with one another. Sometimes my family will Facetime/Skype me and it is fun to do that with them.

I hate phone shaming in general.

Yes it is possible to be on your phone too much, to ignore people while you are on it and to get sucked into the online world, but overall, a smart phone adds to your life.

So, Military spouse, don’t feel bad if you always have your phone on you. You need it. You rely on it. It is a tool you are using to make your life a little easier. No one should shame you for it. If they are, they just don’t get it so don’t let them bother you.