Im Married!

I wish I could wear a shirt around every day that says "My husband is deployed! Stop looking at me like I'm white trash!"

There are so many situations where I feel self conscious about the fact that I am alone. At the grocery store the other day, the checker asked me why I wasn't on WIC if I had a kid and one on the way. When I went shopping for a glider at a furniture store last week, the salesman told me they didn't have any "cheap" gliders before I had even mentioned anything about price.

And then there are times when no one says anything, but I just want to announce my marital status just in case people are wondering. Like at gymnastics, where all of our family members have come except for my husband. Or at my prenatal appointments, when every woman is sitting with her spouse or boyfriend waiting to see the doctor. Except me.

If I lived at Fort Leonard Wood, I wouldn't even think about it. Military spouses there do things alone all the time! But for some reason, here in Nacogdoches I feel like I need to announce to everyone that my husband is in Afghanistan. I find myself trying to throw it into random conversations. When people ask me what I'm having, I make sure that I say "My husband and I decided not to find out," just so they know I'm married!

I can handle running errands with Marley and I know I will be able to handle it with two kids. Of course, I would rather have Asa here with me, but it's just not possible right now, so I just do what I have to do. I'm not the wife who resents her husband for "leaving" her alone. I am so proud of him and I know he is doing this for us! It's just hard to be alone sometimes.

So, why do I even care what other people might be thinking about me? Is this crazy?