Looking on the bright side about things that we can't control and are, without a doubt, actually terrible helps us get through the day. That's why when a group of ladies in this Facebook group decided to talk about what they actually like about deployment instead of focusing on the long, long list of bad things, we were impressed.
Thanks to the ladies of Fort Campbell for this awesome list!
Top 10 Things to Like About Deployment
1. Free reign of the bed. "I love sleeping in the middle of the bed," Laura Cunningham wrote. And she's right -- being the queen of the mattress is a glorious, glorious deployment perk. All hail you!
2. You can cook what you want, when you want. Cooking for a servicemember can get complicated, pricey and time consuming. They are bottomless pits and, in the case of MaryLou Jenkins' husband, picky eaters. Servicemember gone? It's your turn to eat whatever you want, whenever you want.
3. No man messes. Let's be honest -- sometimes your significant other isn't the most tidy, regardless of their gender. But if they aren't home, guess what? You don't have to clean up after them. Ashley Justice knows it's true. "For me it has always been the clean house. My husband should seriously just be named hurricane Chris. I swear to Jesus I have never seen anyone make such a mess out of nothing ... he puts the kids to shame!" she wrote.
4. Or you can live in your own mess as long you want. Of course maybe you're the messy one and your servicemember is constantly picking up after you. During deployment you can live in your mess as long as you want. Don't want to fold the laundry? Who will know?
5. Save that money. Some of us are spenders. Some of us are savers. For those of us who like to squirrel away the cash, deployment can feel like a small win. "I'm going to say the extra money. Yes, ladies, I went there. Every time he deploys we are able to come out debt free and increase our savings," said Mirely Kennedy. And she's right. Who doesn't like seeing that extra savings pile up a little while he's gone? Would we take him home instead? Sure. But if he has to be deployed we might as well look on the bright side of the cash.
6. Strengthen your relationship. There's a lot of reasons deployment is hard on the relationship. But it can also be used as a boost if you're purposeful about what you do. "I say all of the perks above PLUS strengthening your relationship as a couple," wrote Megan Adkins. "You as individuals get to work on things separately, but you also get a chance even with distance to make the marriage stronger. Yes I went there!"
7. TV control. As much as I love my spouse I'm with the ladies who said that deployment brings a welcome break from watching sports.
8. Space in the bathroom. This is my personal favorite deployment perk. Our bathroom has only two towel hooks -- one for my husband and one for me. But when he's gone they are both mine and that means I get to use TWO towels when I shower. Sure, one is sufficient. But who doesn't a second towel for their hair if they can? It may sound silly but it's a treat that I let myself enjoy when he's gone. It's the little things, folks.
9. The trill of a phone call. SpouseBuzz editor Jacey puts a special ring tone on her phone and on her email for her husband when he is deployed. She says the thrill of when he calls makes her feel like she's in the seventh grade with a call from her crush. It just isn't quite the same thing when he is calling from his current job at the Pentagon.
10. Morning silence. PT happens at a very early hour. And for some reason getting ready it requires a lot of banging, loud door closing and noises that general wake up you or the kids. When he's gone? Ah, sweet early morning silence.
If you can stop and look on the bright side of deployment, what would you add to this list?
