Today is our wedding anniversary and it is being spent apart because he is TAD to A school after crossrating. It is hard to say "happy" in the same phrase as "anniversary" for many reasons, most of all because it is being spent apart. In fact, most of this past year has been spent apart.
We have missed celebrating 4th of July last year (one of my favorite days), Halloween (his favorite holiday), Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's, Valentine's Day, all 3 of my sons' birthdays, our anniversary (today), and in five days we will spend my birthday apart as well. There are some other less significant holidays that have been spent apart, but these are the big ones.
Yes, I know that as a sailor's wife, a lot of life is spent apart. Let me also preface this by saying this is not my first time being a sailor's wife. However, my ex was not in a command or in a station in life where it required SO much time apart. It was very predictable, being that it was approximately Sept/Oct to Feb/March each and every year.
My experiences now have been unpredictable to say the least. I never knew the "boat life" where they come and go so often before and after each six month deployment. I did not have to deal with forced crossrating if you want to stay in the Navy. Then just horrible timing on top of it all. Don't get me wrong, I love him and will do what I have to do. I am just a little tired of always having to be the "strong one".
At any rate, today is any other day to me because an anniversary alone is not much to celebrate. Here is hoping to next year's celebration if the Navy allows it!
