Left Behind

The holidays, family issues, and illness have taken their toll on me to start the new year so I haven't had a chance to write lately.

For the past three years, I have accompanied Mike to his annual sales meeting at various locations in the U.S. We've been to Hilton Head, Austin, and Orlando. We've always extended the stay over the weekend to enjoy a little getaway. Unfortunately, this past year his company was sold and the new ownership does not permit spouses or significant others to be part of the event. I don't know if this has always been their policy or if it's a sign of the troubled economic times, but it's sad either way. There is an awards dinner at the end of the 3-day event to honor those who have performed to a higher standard and Mike has consistently been a top performer. It's so much more meaningful to have our loved ones share in those moments and it has always been the highlight of the week. This year, there will be no family or friends to cheer the winners... just co-workers.

All of this is to say, Mike is away right now and I'm not with him. They even extended the event an extra day so this year, with travel, he'll be occupied for 5 days. He's incredibly busy and has to share a room with a co-worker so our talk time is VERY limited - maybe 10 minutes a day. Since we normally talk during Mike's commute (one hour each way), I'm definitely suffering from withdrawal.

It may seem odd to talk about Mike being away when in truth, he's always "away". But somehow, this is different. At least when he's in Denver, I can picture him in his car, his home, his office. I've been to all those places so I feel a part of them. But now he's somewhere I can't visualize and it makes him seem a little farther away.

I've decided to spend the extra time working and trying to catch up after the holidays. Writing about Mike keeps him in my mind and helps me stay connected. I'll sure be glad when he gets back home.

When Stress Creeps In

I was hit in the head this past weekend. Don't worry, I'm talking figuratively here, not literally. I was reminded of something that you wouldn't think I'd forget... Remember to have fun!

Sounds kind of silly, doesn't it? The thing is, we all experience stress in our lives. Some days, or even extended periods of time can be more stressful than others. Recently, Mike and I have been a little caught up in our own personal stresses - mostly from work and getting our kids off to college. We tend to forget how stress creeps under our skin and affects our overall personality. We were talking every day as usual but the conversations were leaving me feeling as if something were missing. I began to question the direction of our relationship and if we were still connecting to each other as we had before.

Fortunately, Friday night we had a light-hearted, conversation full of joking and laughter. It was so delightful that I thanked Mike for how much fun I had.

So what's my point? Those of us in LDRs know how important it is to stay connected with our far-away love by sharing our days, good and bad, via phone conversations. However, without the warmth of a comforting embrace to ease away the stress of the day we need to work extra hard at letting go and allowing ourselves to be joyful, especially during our precious phone time. On a regular basis, we need to make a concerted effort to lock our stress in another room and just have fun with each other!

It's The Next Best Thing To Being There

Football season is fast approaching and although the summer is my favorite time of year, there is lots to look forward to. Mike and I love to spend Sunday afternoons and Monday nights watching football together. You may be wondering how we pull that off. Well, all I can say is thank you technology and especially thank you Sprint. We actually watch games while we're talking on our cell phones. Since we're on the same network we talk for free (and boy, do we take advantage of that!) so it's a no-cost date.

The only problem is, 99% of the time, the broadcast I see is about 5-7 seconds ahead of Mike's. It takes great restraint on my part to not react and give away the outcomes of plays he has not yet seen. But it's well worth the effort to feel like we're together. Remember that commercial long ago that said - "it's the next best thing to being there"? Well, it's true and it's definitely one of the main ways Mike and I stay connected.

Mike also participates in a Fantasy Football league so we get on Yahoo's StatTracker together and it' s a lot of fun to cheer for his team each week. But beware, it can border on addicting! Tonight he's going to meet with his league so they can pull their order for their upcoming draft. He knows I'm there in spirit and I'm pulling for him to get an early pick.