A bit of perspective
John is off to California again tonight for work, this time for eleven days. It's no secret that we both hate it when he has to travel. The house always seems so big and lonesome when he's gone. But I always have to remember that it could be a lot worse. He could have a job in Orlando, which would mean that he would live there and we would only see each other on weekends. When we were flying back to Florida after Christmas, we were sitting in the Kansas City airport, waiting to board. At the gate there was a young couple, about our age or a little younger. The guy was in fatigues and, since the woman with him was crying, I gathered that he was shipping out and probably to Iraq. What must it be like to be in that situation? Knowing that it's possible you'll never see each other again? Those are the things that I have to keep in mind when John has to travel. Yes, it's a bad situation. But it could be so much worse.
Somehow, though, that doesn't make the house seem any more homey when he's gone.