Am I ready to send a care package?? Day 343+

Phase one for me is almost over, I can feel it. I can feel me coming to terms with being a single mom, to being alone at night with my thoughts, to the silence.  I kinda felt it coming on at the two week mark, but did not want to jinx myself nor make Bill feel bad that it only took me two weeks to figure life out without him here. I am almost ready to actually send my first package. Yes,  I know several of you are great at sending things, me not so much. My family and close friends know this about me and know that just getting a card...is a huge feat! I did purchase items for Bill, I even got boxes from the post office. I have the box filled, not taped up yet, but filled. I see my neighbors going to the post office with their boxes and their husbands just left last week. Guilt is starting to set in about my lack of postal love. It isn't just the guilt, it is the final acceptance that Bill is gone for awhile. When I send the package that is it. I will have come to terms with it being a deployment and not just an exercise that he will be coming home from soon. The package is the final event for phase one....(for me). When I mail out the package, I will be sad, I will be hurt, I will be angry, I will accept.

The term of going postal...I doubt started with a disgruntled worker but with a military spouse having to send a package.  You see, our post office is very SLOW. As a matter of fact, I think every post office I have been to is slow, regardless of location. When we go into the post office with our boxes... yes the flat rate boxes are not quite big enough for everything we want to send so we have multiple packages. We are trying to carry our packages, hold onto kids, open a door, and not drop our custom forms. We stand in a line at least ten people deep (our post office is crazy busy). We try and be patient as we watch military men (not usually a spouse),  who have no clue how to ship nor pack a box, ask a hundred questions at the counter just to be turned away while they unscrew what they thought they could ship. We see all kinds of things being packaged in the post office. My favorite thing to see is a person shoving so much in a box they break it at the seams and then they look around for the magical tape fairy. You know the one..the one that appears to give you box tape seeing as how you did not think you might need it .  Do you think we really have the time to watch you pkg items let alone allow you to cut back in line because the tape fairy didn't show and you now need the postmasters tape. Move aside and ask a friend for help while at home. Do not bring stupid to the post office. It makes us spouses cranky!! I know all of you are going to share with my friends what you have seen and endured at the post office. You see..going postal is not a workers issue but a spouse just trying to send a package to confirm the end of phase one in the deployment. We just want to move on and accept life as it is and you ( not nice name) are holding up the line.


Bill-
You are going to love my care package.. I know it... I have yet to get it out of the house... it will soon... I hope!!! In the mean time, several friends have called asking for your address. I am sure their stuff will arrive before mine...hopefully it will tide you over. I am a wee bit busy with the kids and all that they do.... yes I am making up an excuse. You keep doing so in regards to your helmet and flak!!! When you stop I will too. Maybe the package will be held hostage until I get proof of your proper attire!!!