Why We Wait

The Cookie Monster is leaving soon, for what will be a long time. Once again, I have people asking me "why?" Why would I ever put up with that? Why would I wait? Just, why?

Imagine your arm. It's something you ordinarily don't live without, right? It's literally an extension of your main person. So, if a doctor suddenly told you it had to be amputated, you'd be pretty upset. You'd have trouble imagining how you're going to live without it, how awful the adjustment would be, and how difficult it would be to navigate this new territory. How will you reach the cookie jar on the top shelf without that arm?

But then, the doctor tells you "It's ok, it's just temporary. In a year from now, I will have the technology to magically re-attach your arm, and make you whole again." It suddenly doesn't seem quite so bad. Yes, it will be difficult, but eventually, you will have your arm back, and your body will once again be whole.

Think about it- anything awful sounds SO much better, when it's not forever. You run out of socks and can't go shopping for a year. It's ok. You develop callouses on your feet as they get tougher and tougher. It might stink and get a little hairy sometimes (and there are sprays for that), but then that day arrives- you can go shopping again. Your shoes once again have an extra cushion of comfort and awesomeness that you feared you'd never get back again.

This is the life of a military wife (or husband). We are constantly separated from the person we love, and subject to the scrutiny of our family and friends. And that's why. No matter how much it sucks, it is only temporary. Eventually, we are together again. After learning how to operate separately, we do eventually get our arm back. Our lives do become whole again. We can once again, reach the cookie jar on the top shelf. And that's why we wait.