The INdependent

   Any military wife knows the Murphy's Law of your husband being gone. As soon as he's gone for more then 24 hours the kids get sick, the car breaks, the house falls apart, or all at the same time. It's just the way it is. Nothing seems to line up when he's home. Today I got a call from a friend (Heather) who I haven't talked to in a long time. I told her that I was on my way out the door to the BX because the handle fell off the downstairs toilet and it wouldn't stop running. She asked what I was going to do about it. I said fix it? When she asked had I ever fixed a toilet before I said no but I am sure it's not rocket science and I could figure it out. Then she said what only someone who hasn't spent any time in the military would say "Why don't you wait till Steve gets home to do it." You see Heather has been married to John for three years in those years he has been away probably a grand total of 2 weeks. She's use to being able to wait for him to fix it. I laughed and told her  that if I waited for Steve to do everything nothing would ever get done around here. I know we've been extremely lucky in the "my husbands gone" department. He hasn't deployed YET...but it's coming I have a feeling sooner then I would like but I know it's coming. However when he is here it's not like he's always home at night. His job has him gone at least one overnight a week and about 4 nights every two weeks. It's just how the cards have been falling. When he is home I try to use him for big jobs that I can't do with Grace around. So when something small happens and I am pretty sure I can fix myself I do. It's just part of being a military wife. They call us dependents, but I think we all know the truth we are all INdependent. We can't always count on our husband being home on the weekend to cut the grass or pick up the dog poop (COUGH COUGH STEVE!!!) or wait on them to change those lightbulbs to high to reach without a ladder. Now someone might ask but Katie you live on base why didn't you just call the housing office? I did and they wouldn't be able to come for the toilet till friday, because it's PCS season and it was considered a non emergency. I was not about to listen to that running toilet for 3 days! I figured that I would just pay the 5 dollars out of pocket for a new handle. I took apart the old one and put the new one back the same way and VIOLA fixed toilet. I know I know it's not that big of a deal, but it was for me. I was able to figure it out all by myself and fix it without bothering anyone else. As I said before it's just what we have to do. We can't afford to wait around or nothing would get done. We learn to do it ourselves and if we can't we lean on each other to get it done. I love being an Independent dependent I wouldn't have it any other way.