*This article was originally published on February 4, 2015.
For whatever reason, my husband always seems to be away from home on Valentine’s Day. He is either away for training, deployed or even at school. This means that ever since we became a military family, I have spent almost every Valentine’s Day alone. I think he was home last year and we didn’t even really know what to do with ourselves. We were so accustomed to spending that holiday away from one another.
Each year, I’m trying to figure out a way to make it through this romantic holiday that the rest of the world seems to be embracing.
It would be easy to ignore the day or pretend it isn’t a real holiday. On the other hand, I really want to find ways to make it special even when my love is on the other side of the world.
One way to connect with your spouse during this time is by sending a Valentine’s Day care package. You can take the time to find some of their favorite items to put in the package. You can make it as romantic as you would like. Make sure that you do send the package in enough time so they get it before February 14.
At home, you can make plans to do something fun with your friends or your children. Host a Valentine’s Day play date. Have all the moms bring something to eat and have all the children bring valentines for each other. I have always felt better about missing the holidays with my soldier when I can spend the day with others, especially those who know what it’s like to be alone on those special days.
Treat yourself to a nice dinner. When we were in Germany, I had 2 small children at home with me. It wasn’t possible to take myself out to eat on Valentine’s Day. I also knew if I did, seeing couples together might be hard. I decided to order in my favorite food from a local restaurant. I put the kids to bed early and ate my meal while talking to my husband online. A very modern military way to spend Valentine’s Day. Of course it wasn’t the same as having him home, but it made life a little easier on that day.
Sometimes you just can’t talk to your spouse on Valentine’s Day. This can make it harder but try to remember, it’s only one day. Set up a time to chat as soon as you can and make the day special for your kids and your friends.
I have also found that making Valentine’s Day cookies, putting up a few decorations and thinking about how I fell in love with my soldier can help me embrace the holiday even though we are apart. Sometimes it is the little details that can help you get through the tough days of a deployment or a busy training schedule.
Related: 5 Tips for Saving Money During a Deployment
Missed holidays are going to happen when you are married to someone in the military. There is nothing you can do to change that. You can however make the day a little nicer and plan to have a good holiday anyway.
Is your spouse working, gone for training or deployed on February 14? What are your plans for Valentine’s Day?
*This article was originally published on February 4, 2015.
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