ON WORK AND FAMILY

I was talking the other day to a friend who is a military wife. Her husband is in Iraq for a year. She has three kids and no family nearby. For the next year she will be living as a single mother. It has to be hard when your husband is gone for so long, but look at how many husbands are in the military. She misses him "like crazy." Her huband was able to be with her when all of their children were born, but some men in the military are not able to hold their child for the first time until they return home. Some of my friends complain that their husbands work too many hours or that their husbands are gone for weeks at a time for work. For about two years my friend that recently moved was home with her kids, and without her husband for three weeks out of the month while he was traveling for work. Two years, but it's better than being gone for a year at a time. Another friend of mine only sees her husband on the weekends. I know that being a single mother can be very challenging at times. I think they are very fortunate that they are able to be home with their kids, and not have to work outside the home. Sometimes it's difficult for them to see just how lucky they are. I know they feel like they are raising their kids alone sometimes, but they are able to be home full time because their husbands work so hard. I think every woman that has a great husband should be thankful if their husband is able to be home most evenings or weekends. There are so many husbands and fathers overseas, and so many wives and mothers that miss them. I told my friend with the husband in Iraq that I'm sure her husband misses her and the kids just as much as they miss him, " LIKE CRAZY!"