This week has been exhausting being a pilot's wife... and it's only Monday! Ugh! The Captain has made an appearance for the last few weeks, just enough time to get clean clothes, mow the front yard(not the back) catch one of the kids baseball games,give his daughter a 30 min driving lesson, a quick peck on my cheek(okay well a little more than a peck) and back out the door! Whew.. Its not always like this, so I am not complaining too loudly. Sometimes he can be home for days on end, and I pray for his next trip:)
But this week we have a lot going on and I am a little grumpy to be flying solo! We have the last week of baseball tournaments,and a daughter going to her first prom. I know its probably harder on him, then me because even though it is chaotic, I don't have to miss anything. Women will often ask, how I manage such a crazy,schedule with a husband who travels so frequently. First, I don't handle it by myself, I know it looks like it from the outside, but the Captain is always involved in our day to day routine. I make sure that our children know that even if he isn't home,he is informed,and inquires about everything that goes on! So, really its not all that difficult.
When the Captain is home he is all about being with us, spending time with the kids,and getting as much done around the house as he can before the next flight.So, its not all a bad thing. I know many husbands who work from home and spend less time with their wife and children. I have adapted after 18 years of marriage, and I honestly couldn't imagine it being any other way. It works for us. Its not a lifestyle for everyone, but for us it seems to make us stronger, happier, and more connected. Maybe its the endless phone calls while he is on the road, that keep our communication constantly intact or the old saying, absence makes the heart grow fonder. It could be the never ending excitement to see him each time he walks in the door, or the enthusiasm the kids have when they see his car pulling into the driveway. Even in this electronic world with their noses stuck on an ipods, iphones or xbox, the kids will stop everything and run out jumping around like crazy because, Daddy is home. I am not sure most dads get that same kind of greeting!
I also love the fact they we have both been able to keep a balance between being a couple, and maintaining our individuality.We both have mutual respect for the paths that we each have chosen, and how we have decided to raise our family.
However, there are times like these past few weeks, I would have like to have had him home, it would be easier to have two parents dropping off at activities, taking the kids to get new shoes, cleaning the pool, or just snuggling up to watch a show. But, this is our life, the one we chose to be committed to forever, the one that we fought for while working towards this dream, and I wouldn't have it any other way, well, maybe just for this week!
3 comments:
I get a great picture in my mind of the Captain arriving home to much jubilation - and that's the way it should be.
Too many people become complacent win their relationships - you have found a way to keep it going - send the Captain off to fly.
What a very different lifestyle than most of us are used to! Thanks for sharing both sides of it, very enlightening.
From someone who was a single mom, I really liked the perspective that your husband stays involved with your kids even when he's on the road. It sounds like you did a lot of thinking and planning before embarking on this path, and have really made the most of the time away and the time together. You're a real inspiration!
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