Twelve days down for our year apart and our year of not buying new... The latter has turned out to be a huge blessing already. Money & wisdom don't typically go together with us. We get a decent chunk of money through Joel's deployment, and when this has happened before, instead of putting that into paying off debt, we purchased large ticked items we 'needed' so badly that I can't even remember what they were. I already have a list in my head of things that we would have bought had we not been doing this year of no stuff... Anyway, we really don't need new couches... or dining room set... or bedroom furniture. That little voice inside that says "but it would be so nice to get a new ____" or "look at that _____, it's so much better" is gradually learning to shut up. I find myself getting frustrated at the advertisements I come accross that used to make me long for new things. I heard the average American sees over 2,000 advertisements a day. Over 2,000 things on billboards, tv's, signs, and shelves screaming 'YOU NEED ME!' Ugh. I am so over it.
As for our year apart, I can not fathom what it was like 50, 20, even 10 years ago for families who were separated in this way. Joel gets to be with us at least once a week through the wonders of Skype. He calls using the international calling cards... he emails, he facebooks. We are so blessed to be in this age where technology allows Nate to talk to his daddy face to face-ish. Joel and I have got to talk recently for about an hour - I was getting ready to go to bed, and he was having his morning coffee. We are so proud of him. He can't tell us most of what he does day to day, so he is keeping a journal. He will share his experiences with us in 352 days (not that I'm counting) It is so strange... he knows everything about my days. He can picture where I am at a given moment, who I may be talking to, where I am headed next... and I know so little about his days. I know he has a snazzy zebra print chair in his bedroom, and his coffee comes in tea bags. After years of knowing everything about eachother, it's just weird. So tonight, I am feeling blessed. Blessed for the freedom that I am gaining by loosening the ties to the stuff that the world is weighing me down with. Blessed by my frequent contact with my favorite man/best friend/hero/husband dude. Blessed by the family of friends that are keeping us busy, helping take care of Nate and making sure we are doing ok. Blessed by a heavenly Father who is right in the middle of this whole thing, and who is holding our tomorrow so that we are free to run with today.
