Disclosure: Compensation for this post was provided by Wahl Home Products via MSB New Media. All opinions expressed in this piece are my own.
A Picture is Worth $1000
The homecoming…anticipation is gut wrenching and worrisome. What will he expect? Will he be the same this time? Will he stink? I never know what to expect. Every time he leaves, we all change, grow, and develop routines apart from one another. The last homecoming was different. I often thought that it was because his time spent there was easier somehow. I also thought that maybe he avoided the things that changed him so much in the previous deployments. Could it be that he spent more peaceful nights with fewer incidents? Or maybe it was because he had somehow “tuned out” emotionally and would be cold to us for a while when he got back.
Then I realized that the difference this time wasn’t him…it was us. Our family had grown so much stronger over the years that these periods of separation where more bearable and less draining on us. The time we invested in our children bonding, creating traditions and building faith had paid off. When he left, I often thought about the things he brought to this family. The bedtime prayer became such a source of strength for our children that they crave this when he is away. The homework…WOW! He was always the one who figured out the projects and could help the kids with math and grammar. The stern, yet sage, advice he provided in situations would be irreplaceable I thought. But then I realized that for the kids, I needed to keep these going. I needed to try to do these things to keep the family “norm” as close to normal as possible. I would be there for them and provide a, sometimes discounted version of what he gave just while he was gone. It was tough, but I knew we would profit emotionally. The kids made it through and as you can see in the homecoming photo, there was much joy. This reconnection seemed to happen much faster and be much more harmonious than previous homecomings. Nothing can replace him, but at least I know that as much as we need him, that when he has to leave and return, we will be ok. This picture is worth 1,000 words.
A Picture is Worth $1000
Enter the “A Picture is Worth $1000” contest today and see if your photo is worth $1,000!
Wahl Home Products and Spouse Magazine are partnering to host “A Picture is Worth $1,000” photo contest to recognize men and women everywhere who run a household while their spouse is serving our country. If you are a military spouse, please capture a special moment with your partner or family and submit it to the contest page. Entries will be submitted into a contest for $1,000 courtesy of Wahl Home Products. Please enter soon because the contest closes July 8, 2013. Submit your photos at www.militaryspouse.com/contests/wahl . The winning photo will be shared in the September issue of Military Spouse Magazine.
Please note: digital photos should be at least 300 dpi and in jpg format.
Contest closes July 8, 2013.
ENDED!
Topic: A Picture is Worth $1000
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