Give It Up Already!

I want you to try a little experiment with me. Oh come on! Play along...it'll be fun! Give up something that you love and can't live without. Something that is hard to imagine a day without. BUT it can't be something trivial like soda, candy, or coffee. It needs to be utterly important to your day to day life and that you enjoy or experience morning, noon, and night. Something important...sex comes to mind...go along that line of thinking.

I'll give you a moment to think about it. You have to commit, however, and you get ZERO cheat days or moments. No sniffing, tasting, hugging, or even looking at this particular thing. Are you still with me? Or did some of you already throw in the towel? Once you give me your word there is no backing out. Not many of you left willing to participate is there?

Well, in case anyone out there is still playing my fun little game, I'm going to add one more teeny tiny rule. You have to give it up....for a year.That's right. You read that correctly. Give up something that you absolutely can't live without for 365 days! Does it give you a little anxiety just thinking about that kind of commitment? Or sacrifice? However you want to look at it. Are you starting to sweat the very idea of 365 days without ______________ (you fill in the blank)?

That is the very task you must accomplish, without cheating mind you, before you are allowed to utter one single word of ill-advised opinion, suggestion, judgment or advice regarding how to handle the deployment of my hubby (or anyone else's spouse for that matter). It's not open for discussion. Three hundred and sixty-five days without touching, seeing, smelling. Yes...smelling. Send your special something away for that long and the slight whiff of it will send you crumpling to the floor in weakness and emotion you have never felt.

I'm not giving up caffeine, sugar, or daytime soap operas for 40 days. I'm living and breathing without my best friend, lover, help mate...partner. The only other person in this big world that will ever love my kids with the same passion, fervor and craziness that I do. Just because he's a soldier doesn't make him any less of a loving, nurturing, protecting husband than yours. He isn't any less needed and wanted around the house than yours. And he's the only person the four most beautiful boys in the world call "daddy".

So...until you are able to tell me that you have successfully played and finished my game...then zip your lip. Don't chide about how quickly the time is going if you are still living with your "thing". Don't offer suggestion about how I could do things- anything- better or differently. And don't underestimate the daily challenge and struggle that it is to live without.

365 days. One whole year without. That is your task...your challenge...Are there any takers???