Week one...It's only been a week!?!

It has been more than a week since my husband left for a four-month deployment. I have to say, it hasn’t really hit me yet. Hopefully it stays that way.

This isn’t our first rodeo, as he calls it, but this is the first deployment since our daughter was born. And I believe the hardest part is when she is asking and looking for "Dada."

Technology is such a great thing. We have been able to Skype with him a few times. I am not sure how older veterans were able to get through long deployments without the wonderful technology we have today. I am truly thankful we have the opportunity to do it.

A few days ago, a lady told me I need to suck up all the sad or angry feelings I had about this deployment because I married into the military life. As a veteran myself, I understand the need for deployments and I am proud my husband is fighting for the freedoms we all enjoy each day. But having to "suck up" my feelings through this deployment isn’t an option.

If you have never lived the military lifestyle, you cannot even fathom the roller-coaster ride that can come with it, from deployments, being on duty for 24 hours at a time, to never knowing when the call will come through for a recall. Military families constantly have to be on their toes. For families with a loved one deployed, not knowing when the next phone call will come or if they will be home for the next big holiday can be an added stressor.

I recently attended Coping With Deployment, a course through the American Red Cross. It was free and open to all military family members who are about to deploy, going through a deployment or just returning from a deployment. The course was informational and very helpful. With the group discussions, it was comforting to know other military wives are going through the same things I am.

Knowing I am not the only wife out there who is being a geographically separated single mother puts my mind at ease. Although everyone’s situation is different, there is still a common bond between us all. A secret fraternity of sorts.