What day is it?

by The Lady
(Aroostook County, Maine)

From the moment he leaves out that front door..its Game Face On, here at our home. My husband has been driving OTR for 16 long years.

We have 6 children in our blended family & I work full time, away from home. Now add in the 2 goats, 5 chickens, 2 dogs, 2 cats & 4 rabbits and whallah!

I am the epitome of a lonely truckers wife, seeking love & affection, wherever it doesn't involve car pooling, grade drilling, cell phone grounding, mouthy teenagers & being just shy of a nervous breakdown.

I also fight the usual human urges to form a crutch...alcohol or cigarettes or just anything that can feel like SOMETHING that assists me!

But, alas, I quit smoking 3 years ago (and as every former smoker knows, you literally "quit" every day!) and alcohol wouldn't be the wisest crutch if I plan to make it to my job at 7:45am every morning! SO...what-to-do....

COMMUNITY SERVICE! Yes! No time? What time? MY TIME! The one thing I struggle with the most is time...and having none of it. SO, I make time! What better reason than to "give back" at the local animal shelter or soup kitchen, right? AND, my kids can come help too!! Great Facebook pics, Props for Mom & kids can use those hours towards high school graduation requirements.

At the end of the night, that lonely bed feels so good to sprawl out in to and suddenly the lonely feeling seems to take a back seat (after a hot shower, good Law & Order episode & maybe a spot of ice cream :-) )

The time you spend, narrowly mourning the loss of your spouse nearby, is time you can spend doing something else! ANYTHING else!

Before I know it, HE'S HOME! And we have amazing pics and stories to share with him...and when I see that look in his eye, knowing we are making it & doing it together, I can rest my heart at ease..knowing, one day, I can go with him.

But for now...its my time baby! My schedule, my time, my way & I will fill it with as much social interaction with my friends and kids as much as I can.