I just received my and Tim’s Christmas pajamas in the mail last night (yay for Christmas traditions!)! It got me thinking about the holidays, this whole distance thing and how this time of year reminds me very much that I am a milspouse. That’s because the holiday cheer is a tad less cheerful because my other half is thousands of miles away during my favorite time of year. It brings me back to early 2011…

When I was getting into a relationship with a military member and not knowing what it would feel like. I remember the lonely nights and the many tears. Then, I think back to late 2011 when he reported to Hawaii and I felt absolutely empty. I think back to his deployment in 2012 and how afraid I was of being apart for so long. The sadness of more missed celebrations together.

But I also think about all of our reunions. In bus depots and airports. In NYC, VA, Michigan, and Hawaii. The teary goodbyes soon followed by excited hellos. The first kisses and hugs. The tight squeezes and much-needed cuddles. The laughs – oh, we laugh so much together. The fact that we are engaged to be married . . . And that the distance is so close to being a thing of the past.

More than anything, though, this time of year reminds me that I have a special someone to celebrate with. It brings the wonderful memories of of 2011 when I was heading to Hawaii to ring in the new year with him. And memories of last year when Tim was getting ready to come home for the holidays following a deployment and how lucky we were to get to celebrate both Christmas and New Years together.

I think I get the most excited about our reunions around this time of year. All of the good most definitely outweighs the bad — and my cheery holiday love-filled heart smiles knowing so.

I find it’s important to keep the cheer alive and to keep everything in perspective.
And I am looking so forward to welcoming Tim home for the holidays this year — I am almost unable to contain my excitement!