How I celebrated our first anniversary when my husband was deployed

It was our first anniversary, and my husband was on the other side of the world. I hadn’t seen him in four months.

I pretty much spent all of the day in the house, not because I intentionally wanted to or enjoyed being a hermit, it just happened that way. I taught piano lessons in the morning, talked on the phone with my mom for a long time, surfed the web starting to plan our upcoming PCS to Kentucky, uploaded pictures to Facebook, and IMing a friend. The day flew – and all the sudden it was 5 PM and I started feeling stir-crazy.

I knew I needed to get out…but where? what? I thought about my different girlfriends, but everyone I could think of was unavailable, and the ones who weren’t I figured wouldn’t want to do something so last minute. I really wanted chocolate or dessert or something. I mean tomorrow’s our anniversary right? I need a night out!

I thought about going to Olive Garden or some other nice restaurant for dessert, but, eh, who wants to sit there alone and let people wonder if you got stood up? Not me…

My mind starting racing. My husband had sent me beautiful 2 dozen roses that had arrived earlier that week. Wow they are gorgeous! Hey…wait a minute. Why don’t I have my own little candlelight dinner here at home?

Yeah…Why not?

I couldn’t think of any good reason not to. So off I went in a race of flushed fury to make this night as special as ever, whether my husband was there or not. I shed my crummy clothes and in their place donned my “Audrey Hepburn Dress” (as Russ likes to call it).

I plugged my rollers in while I cleared the table that was filled with clutter and paperwork. My imagination just kind of swept me away in a flurry of romance.

About a half hour later, there I was, in my new shoes, fancy dress, hair, makeup, earrings, and Russell’s favorite perfume standing next to an ALMOST decorated table.

Off to the grocery store I went, listening to Josh Groban’s “You Are Loved” at high volume. I bought a salad, some candles, sparkling grape juice, and a tuxedo cake (layers of cake and white and chocolate mouse topped with chocolate and a luscious strawberry).

I came home, lit the candles, and enjoyed the romantic dinner with Josh Groban, Il Divo, and Jane Oliver playing in the background. I was a tad lonely…so after my dessert, I pulled out my computer to begin writing this post.

Mid-way through the post, my phone rang – and it was my long-distance dinner date!

He asked, “What are you doing?”

Me: “Um…having a candlelight dinner!”

Him: “By yourself?”

Me: “Well, not anymore!”

I was so happy that my husband actually got to “join” me for my candlelight dinner!!!

A week ago my mom asked me what I was doing for my first anniversary, and I really had no answer. “An anniversary is kind of hard to celebrate on your own.” I really had no idea how to go about celebrating.

Now, as I sit here in the candlelight looking at my gorgeous roses, I can’t think of a better way I could have celebrated our anniversary (at least this side of deployment). I’m so glad I didn’t just skip over it all. Life is too short.

Just because my other half is on the other half of the world doesn’t mean that our first year is any less important.

I’m ending tonight with a bubble bath and the Princess Bride (a very important movie to Russ and I, but that’s another story…)

Life is what you make it…