Everyone has had bad days when their honey is away. We've all had days, and nights, when we just can't stop crying. So, what can be done to make the days go by quicker, and to make our sweeties feel just a little closer?

1. Keep a journal. Write in it everyday. I start mine as though they are letters to my fiance. Since he will never see it, I can rant, rave, complain, and scream at him all I want. It helps me feel better.
2. Start a "count down" chain out of paper loops. Each day, tear off another loop. Soon, the chain will be gone.
3. Get a hobby. It helps the time go by faster. I knit and crochet.
4. Chart where he is in the world. Get a world map and mount it on a foam core board. While he is out, put a pin into every port that he has visited. I did this and it helped me feel closer to him. I also have a different color for each deployment.

Please post your own ideas so that others can help themselves feel better.:)

Those are very good ideas, especially the journal ;)

Get out of the house even if it's just to drive around. When I stay inside for too long I start thinking too much. And then I just NEEd to get out for a little bit

love the ideas, esp the loop one. kids would love that.

I've been making count down chains for things ever since I was a little kid.
I like the idea of just getting out of the house. Often, I just get in my car and drive out to the dollar store to pass time. Going out with friends is another way to pass the time.

Talk to other people...and no the internet does not count, sorry :hehe

Take the kids to the park and talk to other women.
Take the dog out for a walk and talk to other dog walkers.
I guess this goes along with getting out of the house in a way.

Everyone needs human interaction. Don't be scared make a new friend or just an associate.

Try not to hide out form all the people who are reaching out!!
Find a fun hobby!
Workout for your health and it will keep your spirits up! Vent off some steam!
Keep focused on what you are going to send your SO next in his package!
Get involved with your spouse groups, but be careful not to listen to rumors!!

i workout like crazy when i have horrible missing him anxiety. lol! i go and try on clothes i can never ever ever afford :) that makes me feel better. i never go and buy anything b/c shopping therapy doesn't make me feel better, well it does but i'd be poor. i go out and have fun (dinner w/ friends, movies that sort of thing--probably doesn't work as well for the mommys out there)

i definitely do the paper chain thing. I also start planning for the next time he is home and then other than that, keep busy so my mind is not spendning every second missing him.

I clean... haha I know... I organize things and clean my room, I move furniture around. I'm one of those people that when something changes I want to change a lot of things. Wall colors, bedspreads, wardrobes, furniture placement. It's quite funny actually! LOL! A hobby is good too! I'm a scrapbooker and I also LOVE to take pics and make frames and stuff! I think I might have to try the paper chain thing and the world map!

Those all sound like great ideas, but I especially like the idea of the world map, putting a pin in every port he's been to .

I really like the world map idea :) I try to keep myself busy - catch up with friends and go out more. I dont keep a day-to-day journal but I have a notebook that I write in whenever I'm feeling emotional. I try to excercise too (though my attempts aren't always successful!)

I wish I could do a map but I don't even have the slightest idea of where he is at the moment. lol But countdowns always help me feel as if time is going by faster. Even if it's to something like 'x days until I fly to AL', 'x days until Christma/ New years/etc'. Just gives things a little more structure.

i like the map idea. i might get one and mark everywhere he goes. he stays in each place for a while, at least he did the first 2 since he is not on a ship.

i like the chain idea a lot. i think i will do that. right now i do the journal thingm i have since boot and when he gets home i give it to him because he loves to read it. now when i miss him the most, since we will be moving when he gets home i pack. when he first left i went to his mom's house every sunday after church and packed his room. i finished in one month. now i am packing my room. i actually finished the bulk of it just a few days ago. i also moved furniture which lifted my spirits. for the most part i force myself to leave the house even though i don't want to.

When he left we had nothing in our house so I buy little things like a picture or a little rug. It makes me feel good to spend a little money here and there and I feel more at home. I'm going to love his face when he comes home and see's that we have a cute, cozy house. What woman doesn't like to spend money and make something beautiful at the same time?!!?

to help with my bad days i write in my journal, i read, i go for a walk, i go to see a movie, i love the globe/map idea, oh and i do the changing furniture thing and clean.

the bad days, I write in a joural, I also do the map thing, that's pretty neat to be able to actually see where he's at, I also spend a lot of time with me friends and they force me to get out of the house even though I really don't want to, I spend ALOT of time working on my house, repainting etc. Anything I can do to keep myself busy and occupy my mind. DF and I usually take a lot of pictures, so I spend the time that he is gone catching up on all my scrapbooking as well :)

I try to not focus on him being gone so much, but that's pretty much impossible. Since we live in different states, I count down the days when he gets back from deployment and we can at least talk to each other again. When I have those days where I just get so sad, I let myself feel bad for a few minutes, then I think about when he will be home, what we will do, just being together. I'm supposed to have the garage and the spare bedroom cleaned so I guess I can do that. Other than that, seeing friends and family helps me but sometimes I just need to be alone and I drive to the beach. I love the journal idea and the chain, maybe I'll do that for the next deployment.

I've got my 'deployment chain' and I do the journal every morning and night...and then I rearrange my house alot..lol

How about.....

Writing a book? The journal is a good idea, but it can be put to good use! If you have kids, have them help! Don't know where to start? Pick a journal entry from a significant date in your relationship and start there. Don't know what to write? Copy that entry! Build a story around what you've already done. (The kids don't have to help out on the "grown up" parts of the book..) If your kids are too young, let them help make the cover and pick out items to put in it when you go shopping.

Hobbies are awesome, but don't do something you know. Don't go play golf if you know how.. do something completely out of your norm. Go buy a blank canvas and some watercolors and teach yourself how to paint. Find a place that teaches you how to ride a horse (expect to be saddle sore for 3-5 days afterwards, tho) Go rafting down a river.. THIS is the time you have to do stuff you wouldn't do when he's home.

As for us out there on the ship.. well.. we'll probably get to write an email every few days and work 18 hours a day. And they don't have bowling alleys on FFG's.. <sigh>

I went away to sleepaway camp as a counselor...not practical for most people, I know...and the pay sucks too. But it was a lot of fun, and I was definitely busy! Outside of those 8 weeks I was at camp, I kept busy and kept track of everything-- did scrap booking, kept a journal, kept an exercise journal...somehow more structure=more sanity.