27 Hours

Dear Diary,

I made the call about an hour ago.  I wanted to be strong and upbeat and positive. I really believe that “send-offs’ should be just that.  I asked about departure times and lay overs and arrival times and cities in between.  I asked if all was packed and when was the return scheduled. I was doing real good until I got to the part where I told him to take care of himself, be safe, and return home to us.  And then I lost it.  I just hate it when my voice cracks up.

J. leaves in the morning for Thailand.  It is his second trip. Last year the trip was from Dec. 30th to March 18th.  This time it’s from January 26th until March 29th.  If he gets his business taken care of before the 29th he’ll pay the extra bucks to return early.  This year he is making the trip without his Lisa. Without his soul mate and business partner. Without the beautiful young woman who I have grown to love as my own. 

It was decided ( mutually I’ve been told) that they would start the new year  not as a couple.  While she has agreed and has taken part in deciding how the separation will take place, I think she really didn’t want this.  She told me that since they were doing it, (the separation) it would have to be at least 6 months.  I kinda hope he goes crawling back in April and she makes him wait it out. He told me early on in their relationship that they would have to break up if they ever wanted to make a commitment to each other because neither one had ever been with anyone else.  All through high school, they both had lots of really good friends, dated, but never  really had a serious relationship. They met their first year of college and became friends  while hanging out with a big group of people. It was a 18 months later  that they had their “first date”.

I fell in love with this darling girl when J brought her to the family reunion.  It was a weekend event but they came just for the day.  As he introduced her to his PoPo Barney (grandpa), my daddy looked at her, smiled and said hello.  She leaned down and kissed him on the cheek. That did it for me and my sister!  A couple of years later, she and I sealed our special friendship as we walked to the church for PoPo’s funeral service.

They have had some really special adventures in their journey.  I have to trust that they will grow during this time of separation and that this growth will bring them back together with a stronger love and commitment to each other.  Last year they traveled together to Thailand and India for their import business. This year he travels alone.

Austin to Denver to San Francisco to Tokyo to Bangkok…leaving Monday morning at 6:45 a.m. and arriving Bangkok on Tuesday evening… a trip that takes…

…27 hours.

~Susie