There are so many things I DON'T like about Keith being away on a trip. Three weeks is a really long time, no matter how you count it. We've survived thus far, but I would be hard pressed to say I've enjoyed the past week. My coffee doesn't taste the same--I miss my best friend. I'm tired of getting out of bed umpteen times a night--I miss my co-parent. I hate clogged toilets--I miss my handyman.
But I don't want to be a whiner, so I've set before myself the challenge of listing the good things about life right now.
I find an odd sort of comfort that Keith--on the other side of the world--is having daytime while we are sleeping. I dislike nights alone with things that go bump (even if it's just a child falling out of bed), and it is reassuring to know that he is up and about, thinking of and praying for us.
I have a renewed appreciation for technology. E-mail, texting, Skype...it is a tremendous improvement over those thin, blue, paper-and-envelope-all-in-one things that we used back in the "good ole days" in France. Never mind that the webcam on my computer quit working; a friend showed me how to Skype using my iPhone and the bathroom mirror.
I also have an increased admiration for single moms, military wives, and other women whose spouses are gone for extended periods of time. Three weeks is a mere blink compared to a military tour of duty! They must have earned their SuperMom capes many times over.
I love the realization of how involved Keith is in the lives of our children. I asked Kate today if she was having a happy Saturday. "Mostly," she replied. I wondered what would make it even better, and she said, "Well, it can't be totally happy without Daddy here, too." That seems to be the general sentiment among all the kids. They also seem to think that clogged toilets and burned-out light bulbs have to wait till Daddy is home; they were surprised that I could tend to such matters.
The past week has also been a reminder that I truly do have good friends. Some of them double as neighbors or family members :-) People have gone out of their way to bless me with food, offers of babysitting, coffee and adult conversation, and various other expressions of care. It's not like I had an operation, or a new baby, or any other of the circumstances that usually warrant such doings. It's just friendship.
I've also had more time to reflect and read. (Granted, the reading part is mandatory for our Thailand preparations, so that is something that must continue.) With nobody to talk to--except facebook--after the kids are asleep, I've written more, read more, pondered more, listened more than usual.
I would have absolutely loved to accompany Keith on this trip. Those days are not now, but they will come again. In the meantime, I'm thankful that he had this opportunity. To be in Thailand again--and feel the same love for the country and the people that we felt in August---to spend time in Taiwan--seeing God on the move among the thousands of people at an "Asia For Jesus" conference--and then to finish up in China--gaining a vision for university outreach in an Asian context.....It is all worth the temporary separation!
But I don't want to be a whiner, so I've set before myself the challenge of listing the good things about life right now.
I find an odd sort of comfort that Keith--on the other side of the world--is having daytime while we are sleeping. I dislike nights alone with things that go bump (even if it's just a child falling out of bed), and it is reassuring to know that he is up and about, thinking of and praying for us.
I have a renewed appreciation for technology. E-mail, texting, Skype...it is a tremendous improvement over those thin, blue, paper-and-envelope-all-in-one things that we used back in the "good ole days" in France. Never mind that the webcam on my computer quit working; a friend showed me how to Skype using my iPhone and the bathroom mirror.
I also have an increased admiration for single moms, military wives, and other women whose spouses are gone for extended periods of time. Three weeks is a mere blink compared to a military tour of duty! They must have earned their SuperMom capes many times over.
I love the realization of how involved Keith is in the lives of our children. I asked Kate today if she was having a happy Saturday. "Mostly," she replied. I wondered what would make it even better, and she said, "Well, it can't be totally happy without Daddy here, too." That seems to be the general sentiment among all the kids. They also seem to think that clogged toilets and burned-out light bulbs have to wait till Daddy is home; they were surprised that I could tend to such matters.
The past week has also been a reminder that I truly do have good friends. Some of them double as neighbors or family members :-) People have gone out of their way to bless me with food, offers of babysitting, coffee and adult conversation, and various other expressions of care. It's not like I had an operation, or a new baby, or any other of the circumstances that usually warrant such doings. It's just friendship.
I've also had more time to reflect and read. (Granted, the reading part is mandatory for our Thailand preparations, so that is something that must continue.) With nobody to talk to--except facebook--after the kids are asleep, I've written more, read more, pondered more, listened more than usual.
I would have absolutely loved to accompany Keith on this trip. Those days are not now, but they will come again. In the meantime, I'm thankful that he had this opportunity. To be in Thailand again--and feel the same love for the country and the people that we felt in August---to spend time in Taiwan--seeing God on the move among the thousands of people at an "Asia For Jesus" conference--and then to finish up in China--gaining a vision for university outreach in an Asian context.....It is all worth the temporary separation!
Being seperated from my husband for a period of 3 weeks would be horrible for me - I already miss him like crazy when he's away on business for only one day! But it helps to know that the reason for the separation is such a great opportunity for the one who's away.
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