The Truth and Nothing but the Truth

I guess because of the long holiday weekend I’ve had some extra time to think and I decided that I’d tell you the truth. Don’t get me wrong; I’ve been telling the truth with every entry in my blog; but perhaps I’ve chosen to tell you the good stuff; the stuff that I try to focus on so I can stay positive and make it from one day to the next. So can you handle the truth?

Over the past 11 weeks or so Brent and I have learned that being over 3,000 miles apart takes a lot of hard work. We’ve cried, laughed, and we’ve missed out on parts of each others lives that we wish we hadn’t; and it is not getting any easier. Please don’t feel sorry for us and please don’t say “I told you so.” We knew going into this it was going to be hard and would require a lot of work from each of us; but until you actually experience the separation you have no real idea what it will be like.

I’m sure many people will think how can Tammi complain? She’s living in Hawaii and getting to experience things many have never dreamed of let a lone could ever afford. And you’d be right; how can I complain? I’ve spent weekends at some of the world’s most gorgeous beaches, I’ve seen breathtaking views and I’ve experienced the beauty of a Hawaiian sunset. But as the saying goes, the grass is always greener on the other side…

From my perspective Brent is living the dream life. He is in the home we bought together and spent hours working on and fixing up. He gets to snuggle with Mo Mo, have Achates nip at his ankles, listen as Porsche tells him how her day was and rub Boston’s soft, white belly. He gets to pet Bell and Lexie and play outdoors with them. He can take the greyhounds for a walk when the mood strikes and most importantly, when he misses me he can seek out the affection and love of a cat or dog to comfort him. When I’m missing Brent all I have is a pillow to cry into…

Would we do this again if given a second chance? Right now we’d like to think we would do the same thing. Ask us again in a year and see if our answer is the same. The bottom line is that we did what we thought was necessary to provide financially for our family. I’m sure there are thousands of families across the US who have sacrificed much more than we have to provide for their families. No, we shouldn’t complain and yes, we should be grateful for everything and everyone we have in our lives.

But the next time you see a person sitting in a restaurant eating alone, or at a movie theater alone, or sitting on a beach alone you just might be seeing someone trying to escape the loneliness and fear of being separated from there family and hoping that the decision they made will make them and their family stronger. And be grateful you haven’t had to make the same decision.

All my love and hugs from a quiet apartment just outside of Waikiki…