Skype Dates

This goes back to talk about how wonderful social networks are. Before you read this, google SKYPE, and download it now. or those that are reading this and are like "WTF is skype?", it is basically like AIM. You can call someone else on a skype account and talk via webcam. This was the perfect tool to survive deployment.
During deployment, I did absolutly nothing. I worked, I went to school, I stayed home. I very rarely went out. When I would know it was time that Jeff would be on Skype, I made sure I was always done up real cute. We'd call our little skype sessions, "Skype dates." I would look forward to these ALL day. A lot of people ask, "How do you keep it fun?" Well, you have to make it fun. Your soldier is just as happy to see your face as much as you're happy to see his. Some days when my soldier was in one of those "I don't care about anything" moods, I would grab a fake mustache and a fake tattoo sleeve and talk in funny accents. We would have dance offs. We'd play music on either end, guessing who the band was and we'd dance like complete goofs.
Skype dates are a lot of fun. As long as you make it that way. I'm a pretty strong individual, and just like anyone else, being away from your loved one can be extremely hard. It wasn't always all peaches. There were nights where I had no contact with my soldier. Then those crazy thoughts fill your head. One night in particular I will always remember. Only because I almost lost it. Jeff and I were lucky enough to skype almost EVERY day. So it eventually had its own routine. Day before Thanksgiving and day of Thanksgiving I had not heard from him. The first day I thought, ok, well maybe he's busy. But on Thanksgiving day, I felt in my heart that something was off. I went about my day with family and tried enjoying it as much as I could. Bed time rolled around and (I usually left skype on all day) my computer started ringing. It was Jeff! I answered and he just looked bothered. He told me that a suicide bomber had tried bombing their FOB earlier that day. (A FOB is a forward operating base, a little tiny base basically). I asked if he was ok, if anyone had gotten hurt, etc. Luckily the bomber just blew up the Afghani police station. None of their police were injured. The only one hurt in this case was just the bomber himself. Talk about failed mission. Shrapnel had flew all the way over to Jeff and his sergeants  little "hut" as I like to call them. He had pictures and was actually excited to show me. The only thing I could do was just breathe and say "WOAH."
Other times on skype, it's just sad. You miss your soldier, you're tired of being alone, no one understands you, etc. I can not describe how big of a mess I was with him gone. I didn't know anyone else in a military relationship I could turn to. That's why it is SOOOO important for girlfriends and wives to connect. There were numerous skype dates where I would just sit on skype and cry. Jeff is going to hate me for this, but he would too. And you could see the hurt in his eyes. I feel bad for ever making him feel that way. The one thing I didn't want to do was to distract him from his job. But there were always ways to turn things around and smile again. I look at all these survivors from WW2 and just thank god that I did not have to go through what their wives did. I am sooo thankful for us to have the technology we do now.
With all this said, I come to my conclusion for today...If you are currently going through your first deployment, DOWNLOAD SKYPE. Talk to other wives. Stay busy.

Bless our soldiers and keep everyone safe.