The End

It's officially wedding season, so I figured the picture was perfect! I know two people who got married just yesterday. Wedding bells are not in my immediate future . . . soon, though!

I titled this blog "The End" meaning the end of May, and the end of the worst month in my entire life. This month will go down in history as nothing short of complete turmoil. Ironically, deployment has been the least of my problems.

Saying goodbye to Mike was hard- I didn't realize how many little things I take for granted every day, such as calling him on my way home from work, sharing a quick meal before work (him) and school (me), etc. I miss him the most at night time- we've had some of our best conversations just moments before falling asleep.

Fortunately, we have been able to talk every day since he left. He is doing well in Germany, and each morning I wake up is another day closer to him coming home. I can feel our relationship growing stronger every day, and just thinking about him makes me feel good. I see a bright future ahead!

I felt more emotional saying goodbye to my sister the night before she left for Texas (her husband is now stationed at Fort Hood). She's been through so much, and although I miss seeing her, I honestly feel that this change is what she needs right now. We've been texting often since she left, and I am planning on visiting in the first week of August.

Besides the sudden death of my sister's unborn baby, the woman who sits next to me at work lost her husband suddenly, right before the long holiday weekend. He was ill, and had suffered multiple strokes over the years, but to hear that he had passed was shocking. Even though he was in tough shape, he was still hanging in there.

The wake for him is today. After an unexpected and dramatic fight with family members (I won't go into detail), I'm too drained to deal with more death. May has pushed me to my emotional limit, and I couldn't be happier that tomorrow marks the beginning of a new month.

I'm a tough cookie . . . but right now, I've just plain had enough. I'm looking forward to a clean slate next month, and I will continue to hold my head up. "That which does not kill you, makes you stronger."

Inspiration

I came across a website with quotes for couples in long-distance relationships.

I found out today that deployment is happening a week and a half sooner than expected, so I thought it would be nice to share some of the quotes that will help put a smile on my face over the next six months. Enjoy!

"Missing someone gets easier every day, because even though you are one day further from the last time you saw them, you are one day closer to the next time you will."

"Distance is not for the fearful, it is for the bold. It's for those who are willing to spend a lot of time alone in exchange for a little time with the one they love. It's for those knowing a good thing when they see it, even if they don't see it nearly enough."

"Distance means so little when someone means so much."

"We are the perfect couple, we're just not in the perfect situation."

"Distance never separates two hears that really care, for our memories span the miles and in seconds we are there. But whenever I start feeling sad because I miss you, I remind myself how lucky I am to have someone so special to miss."

"True love doesn't mean being inseparable; it means being separated, and nothing changes."

"Distance is to love like wind to fire . . . it extinguishes the small, and kindles the great!"

"The longest period of time is waiting for something or someone you truly want."

"Nothing in this world worth having comes easy."

"Behind every strong soldier, there is an even stronger woman who stands behind him, supports him, and loves him with all her heart."

The Tough Stuff

Up until last week, I thought deployment was my biggest problem. That changed very quickly when I received the worst news to date- my sister's unborn baby passed away at 35 weeks old. Out of respect for my sister, I will not discuss the details on this blog.

Even after having the services, I think part of me is still in shock today. We just had her shower a few weeks ago, and her due date was the 26th. It's one of those things that is so devastating that you just can't believe it.

I've felt every emotion under the sun. My sister is the closest person to me, so I felt like I was going through it myself. People say everything happens for a reason, but I've struggled to come to terms with why exactly this did happen.

Needless to say, my feelings towards deployment have changed drastically. I feel like nothing worse can get thrown at me right now, and all the little things that were bothering me are now things to not be concerned with at all.

It's one of those situations where no one can say or do anything to make this better, but the amount of support we've received has been amazing. Just knowing how many people have been behind us does help to ease the pain.

It's also one of those situations that makes you truly understand how short life is. If anyone takes anything away from this blog, I would want it to be that you try your best to not have regrets, and understand how precious life really is.