It seems to be common knowledge in the world of a military spouse:
Just when you think you are ready, your spouse has departed, and now is the time everything will evidently fall apart.
This is not a “my whole world is falling apart now that the love of my life is being taken away for (x) months.”
This is a legit; pipes burst and my house is flooded, I may have colon cancer, totaled the car, found out the house is infested with widows, kids break limb and need stitches… kind of fall apart.
You thought you were prepared didn’t you superwoman?
After all, Semper Gumby. (that’s spouse jargon for always be flexible)
So, although I have had probably close to 40 separations during my spouses time in the military, I am not always prepared.
[Some of the above examples are actual happenings during deployments and work-ups.]
Why would this time be any different?
It wouldn’t.
The day before my husband left and he needed to wash all his uniforms before he goes… he stays home during our sons last soccer game to catch up on the procrastinated chore and I come home from the win and celebration to a house flooded in washer overflow and my husband scrambling to dry it up.
Fourteen towels and a few hours later, we have loaded up both cars with kids and laundry baskets to spend my husbands last day with us at the laundromat. Several hours and $30-40 later we can go home only to wake up at 3a.m. to get him to the airport.
And sure being the very wealthy enlisted military family we are…. why not just get a new one? With the reality of emergency funds being exhausted by death and accidents, we are left with few options other than me finding a way to add weekly laundromat visits into my already hectic schedule.
But finding the way to make the best of a situation is really the semper gumby way.
In reality, I may be spending about $20/week in laundry, I am saving tons of time.
Wash, dry, fold about 5 loads in an hour.
Also my kids think its fun [sometimes].
And if all else fails… at least I got some good photos.
travelswithminis 