My support comes from my family especially my husband. He listens when I need to vent and he recognizes the fact that I sometimes need a break from the kids. My siblings are also a major source of support. I am lucky to have a close relationship with my siblings so I frequently call my brothers and sisters for advice and even sometimes just to vent. My daughter is also supportive by helping me remember to slow down and appreciate the little moments. I sometimes get so caught up in daily chores and can get frustrated easily. My daughter teaches me to slow down and enjoy the little moments of reading together and letting her "help" (which really means double the work) with laundry and dishes. I only have these days where she wants to be helpful and always play with mom for so long so I need to appreciate each day. My church family is also a major source of support especially as I prepare for my husband to be gone with training and then deployment. I have so many offers to help if things break and mowing the yard. If I did not have this support system in place I would be more stressed and be struggling to maintain all the responsibilities in my life.
This summer I will be facing a unique challenge. My husband will be deployed when i give birth to our second child. My daughter will be almost 2 so I will need a lot of help. I will need physical help with baby-sitting and support during labor. My sisters will be in the delivery room with me while my dad watches my daughter. I will need a lot of help around the house because I will not be able to do landscaping outside. Luckily I have several people who have agreed to take care of the mowing the whole time my husband is deployed. I will also need emotional support while caring for a newborn and toddler and also dealing with separation from my husband. During this time my family, friends and church family will be very supportive for help with the children and the house. Without these people I would not be able to keep my household running. Acknowledging the fact that I can not take care of everything and everyone all by myself is important for me to reach out and accept help. Without these supports I do not know if I will be able to get through this deployment with my sanity and house intact.
