A few days after my husband deployed, I received a phone call from my best friend, Cynthia. She said, "Hey, I'm coming to Washington. I'll be there next weekend." What she didn't say, but what she really meant, was, "I'll bet you could use some company and I don't want you to be all alone in that big house right now." And she was right. A few days with my best friend goes a long way. Cynthia is the funniest, most optimistic and peppy person I've met in my entire life. Incidentally, I've known her my entire life because we were next door neighbors when both of us were born and our parents were best friends.
I've mentioned before that I don't talk to anyone on deployment day. I just need that day to pout and get used to the idea that my husband is gone, so I was happy that Cynthia's phone call came a few days after my husband left.
I decided that she and I were going to have a night on the town, in style. I booked a car service and made reservations at a fine restaurant in Washington. We dressed up, drove in style, dined in style and had our very own chauffeur. For a few hours, we lived in an entirely different universe. Yes, it was a splurge, a big one, but it was good for the soul and it was worth every single penny. I didn't even have a heart attack when the credit card statement came! Cynthia and I had a blast while she was in town. We went window shopping and stayed up late talking and laughing. Lots of laughter. We would have had a great time without our night on the town, but it complimented the weekend perfectly. My friend and I had done something we wouldn't have done under normal circumstances. When I think about that night, and the fun Cynthia and I had, I am very grateful for the memory. It will last forever.
A splurge doesn't have to be expensive, it's just about doing something that you wouldn't ordinarly do. Have you splurged on yourself during a deployment? If so, what did you splurge on? If you haven't, what would you like to splurge on?
