Dear Deployment: Still Finding Joy, Hope

Dear Deployment,

That was unexpected. I dreaded the lonely nights, the long days, and the empty chair at the dining room table. I thought you would steal my husband away. I thought we would never talk. What I did not know was that you would make our marriage stronger.

You took the quantity of evenings in front of the television, nights spent in the same bed but buried in books or computer games, and you gave us snippets of quality conversations. You were the catalyst that reconnected us. We dreamed. We anticipated each other’s touch. We talked about the future in the rare moments we were able to talk. We complained about the distance and longed for each other’s company.

So thank you deployment. Thank you for reminding me why I fell in love with my soldier. Thank you for making me value the seconds I have with him and helping us to dream again as a couple.

I know I will see you again and though I still look to you with dread, I also know that you will only make me stronger.

A mom, writer, ministry leader and military spouse Hope Griffin shares her life in hopes of helping others find joy in the everyday. Hope has an MA in Biblical Studies from Dallas Theological Seminary and a B.A. in English from the University of Central Arkansas. You can read more from Hope at www.HopeNGriffin.com