This one’s for all the ladies whose husbands or boyfriends just have to go out and chase the animals this time of year. Though I don’t understand it, I know it’s probably good for them and for us to have this little break.

I don’t often talk about my husband here on my blog but I felt it was time to acknowledge his presence. For the first time in years, my husband has gone away on a hunting trip. He left a couple of days ago and will be back this evening. This was alot harder for me than I thought it would be. Not only did I have to keep up with all of the household demands by myself, I really did miss him. We’ve been married almost eight years and he’s only gone away one other time. He’s been around for so long that I guess I often take him for granted. Being away from him for a few days has given me a true appreciation of what it means to be part of a couple.

It means having someone to tell you that you forgot to lock the doors at night. It means having someone to take out the trash. It means having one more pair of eyes to look after your child when you’re busy doing everything else. It means having someone to get that oil change that you’ve put off for months while you take care of the grocery shopping. It means having someone who will tell you if the Christmas tree looks ok after you put it together. It means having someone hang pictures for you so that your house isn’t decorated at eye level. It means having someone to bounce your ideas off of when you have a bad case of writer’s block. It means having someone around who can reach the stuff on the top shelf in the kitchen cupboard. It means having someone around to drink the other half of that pot of coffee in the morning. It means having someone around to answer the phone when you don’t feel like talking. It means having someone to blame your PMS on. It means having an extra pair of hands to carry in library books. It means having one more kiss at bedtime and one more hug when you leave the house. It means more than I usually think about.

I know others who have gone through divorce and I have felt awful for them because I can’t imagine how terrible that must be. Though I often grumble about him, he is the greatest guy I know and I can’t imagine how life would be without him. Anyone who could put up with me and my moods for eight long years has to be something special. I may not be happy to see the ten-point buck he’s bringing back, but I know that I’ll be glad to see my sweetheart when he finally gets back tonight.

Until next time…