Surving A Deployment

I have read numerous books, web articles, and heard from a hundred different people on how to survive a military deployment. I noticed most of the information floating around out there is for military wives with children and most of the information is the same. Well, I do have two young children (one who has yet to meet his father) I have also gone through a deployment before the children were born and I also have a lot of friends who do not have children and are going though a deployment. So wheither your spouse is in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, or Marines and is deployed to Iraq, Korea, Egypt, or wherever, I hope the following information finds you in a time when you are needing it the most!

~ Rearrange Your Space ~
Take a weekend soon after your spouse leaves and rearrange a few rooms in the house. I always start with the room that the most time with my husband was spent in...the living room. I move the couch, tv, book shelves, and maybe even change out some of the decor by putting up different pictures or moving around the candles.
The other room I do is the bedroom. Most intimate moments are spent in this room and it can take a toll emotionallly if you are having a bad day. I cannot move the bed around by myself so I usually just switch out the current bedding set with a new one. If you can not afford a new set or you do not have an extra one, try putting a throw at the end of the bed or rearranging the pillows in a new way. I also move my lamp to a different spot (lighting has a huge effect on mood) and buy a few new smelling candles (scent triggers memories).
By moving things around it automatically creates a sense of "newness". If you create a new space it will help to feel like you are in a new spot.

~ Buy a Webcam~
Communication is the number one key in keeping a marraige alive, especially during a deployment. Emails and phone calls are great, but when you can actually look your spouse in the eyes it makes a huge difference. It is also a great tool you can use during a deployment to keep the "spice" in your marriage alive! You just have to be creative and I am sure your spouse will love you for keeping them satisfied!