As a child, I was an avid reader. I remember my reading ritual of finding a great hiding spot to read–under our piano, in a closet–and then losing track of time as I was immersed in the story.
I also remember how disappointed I was at the end of the book. When I saw the final page drawing closer and closer, I would find myself reading every so slowly, lingering on every word. I just didn’t want the story to end and to have to say good-bye to this wonderful journey I was on and the characters I had come to know so well.
Nowadays, I spend much more time reading biographies and textbooks than fiction, and many times I am more than happy to give myself a break from the in-depth information; but as a child, I had such a connection to the fictional stories I read that it became like the characters were part of my life, and I was with them through the ups, downs and everything in between.
As a military wife, the metaphorical closing of one book and opening of another happens quite frequently (every 3-5 years to be exact). We have to say good-bye to the friends we have become so close with and open another book at our next duty station. In recent months, I have had to say good-bye to several friends, which is a new experience for me. Until recently, I had always been the one moving first. The chaos of the relocation didn’t leave time for being sad. We were simply off to another adventure!
It’s a strange feeling to be the one “left behind” while others’ worlds are changing, but it is wonderful how connected we can remain through technology. I am grateful for the ever-increasing ways we can stay in touch with each other, and our deployed service member. I am finding there are a number of great resources out there to help us stay connected, and it’s encouraging! I am even going to jump on the bandwagon and start hosting some teleclasses and webinars.
The main take-away I have is that every challenge and hard situation can produce something great. Our need for social connection has given life to tons of social media opportunities for us to connect. If you are going through something difficult right now, there is probably a solution or way to overcome it that will make you stronger and benefit others in the process. Perhaps reaching out to others will help you in the process.
