missing him

"Instead of thinking about what you are missing, try thinking about what you have that everyone else is missing."

This is my new mantra. I repeat it to myself daily, sometimes hourly, and recently it has saved me from many exhausting meltdowns. I use this quote in a more literal sense than the author intended, but it works for me. What is it that I am missing? My husband left for Iraq 8 months, 2 weeks, and one day ago. But it feels like he has been gone for years. For the majority of this deployment, I have been drowning in my own loneliness. I miss him more than I would have thought possible to miss anything, but it's time to lift myself out of this miserable slump.

My husband is definitely the 'glass half full' type. He gives me pep talks quite frequently and after this deployment may have a future as an inspirational speaker...
but I know he is tired of being the sunshine in the relationship so I am trying my hand at optimism (as I write, the pessimist inside is laughing and saying "yeah right, you?")

I should be more thankful for the amazing things my life has recently been blessed with. My husband of course being one of them. And our beautiful, healthy, 8 month old son. I am so grateful for my new family and the relationship my husband and I have...we actually like each other which is becoming rare among married couples, and he is my best friend. So this is what I am focusing on, and the fact that we only have 3 months left. I WILL pull through this...maybe even with a smile on my face, or at least not a scowl.