Solitude on the Horizon

When my hub and I first met in 2001, he was a busy business traveler.  We would go on a date, and then he would fly out of town for two weeks.  The boy impressed me with his travel clout (he had me driven into New York City from Philadelphia when my flight was fogged in) and then there were the travel perks (an almost free trip to Hawaii), so we made the most of the time we were together.

When we were married in 2002, our amount of time together was about the same.  We would see each other an average of two weeks each month unless I traveled with him.  I was in school and staying pretty busy with that so the circumstances were different then.   

Then in 2003 he was offered the opportunity to partner in a new company, which also meant he would not be on the road as much.  For our new marriage this was a good thing.  Aside from maybe a few days each month, we were home together.

Fast forward to 2008, along with our other business and a failing economy - travel was reduced to overnight trips.  By 2009, he wasn't going anywhere.  We both worked at home and were together ALL THE TIME, y'all.  Still are.

We are each other's best friend.  He loves me enough to eat a bowl of cereal for dinner if I don't want to cook.  He has the cutest ears ever, and I love the sound of his voice.

But I am a believer in the old adage 'absence makes the heart grow fonder'.  We could use the opportunity to miss each other and to not take each other for granted.

Hub's company is going through a metamorphosis.  The nature of the business has taken a huge hit with the economy.  Hub has been very lucky to still have a job and the partners want to make sure this continues for them all so they are diversifying.  This means lots of time in the main office, as well as traveling to a conference.  All in all, he will be gone at least eight nights on the upcoming trip.  We will even be apart, much to our disappointment, on Valentines Day.

So, for a little while anyway, I will revert to the life formerly known.  I'm a little older now and really don't like being in the house alone.  I'm busy these days but in a different way.  I will experience what it is like again to truly long for my husband.  I will think about what a good man he is, how much I appreciate him... and how maybe the dirty socks left in the middle of the floor aren't such a big deal.

And I will eat cereal for dinner.