Breaking from the Routine to get back to the Routine

Probably one of the single most important tools we used to make this deployment more bearable is Skype. 

We appreciated the fact that it was it was both free and effective.  It worked pretty well for us 95% of the time.  When the internet connection was good on both ends the video feeds were crystal clear and audio has always been excellent.  Being a guy with a tech fetish, I even figured out how to connect the laptop to the flat screen in the living room and feed the sound to the home theater system.  So on weekends we were able to spend time as a “family,” with my daughter and I playing in the living room and my wife joining in the festivities in all her 1080p Hi-Def, 7.1 Dolby Digital Surround Sound glory.  She was practically life sized up on that TV.  Obviously no replacement for her actually being here, but it was nice to have her “here” with us during those times.

Skype is also part of our daily morning routine.  My wife was fortunate enough to have been stationed at a major base in Iraq and had ready access to computers and internet.  I know there are many others who are stationed in more remote locations, thus communicating with their families is more sporadic.  Keep up the good fight and know that you’re family is supporting and waiting for you.  So back to the routine.  As I typed earlier, part of our morning routine is a daily Skype session with my wife before I take my daughter to daycare.  We’ve gotten used to waking up and going into the kitchen for a little breakfast and face time with Mommy. 

Today was different.  No Skype. No e-mail. No facebook status updates.  No, today after my daughter woke-up, I got her dressed, spent a little time playing with her and then off to daycare.  For those of you with kids you know how important routine is for the young ones.  My daughter knew that something was different.  She doesn’t like not following the routine.  But she’ll have to adjust because we won’t be doing this routine again for a long time (hopefully).  She’s going to have to adjust to the “old” schedule again because today, instead of being in front of a computer, my wife is on a plane, finally heading home.

5 more days until reunion!

 

Wait for the Lord; Be strong and let your hear take courage; Yes, wait for the Lord.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            --- Psalm 27:14

You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; You have loosed my sackcloth and girded me with gladness, that my soul may sing praise to You and not be silent.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        --- Psalm 30:11-12

Love bears all thing, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      --- I Corinthians 13:7