5 Things Guaranteed to Happen During Deployment

The Deployment Curse. We've all heard about it. Many of us have experienced it. And most of us have even learned to laugh about it at some point during (or maybe months or years after) a deployment. In my experience, it seems like certain things are simply destined to happen... any time my husband is gone for more than two minutes. Here they are: 5) An appliance or important electronic device will explode. OK, so maybe there won't be an ACTUAL explosion, but don't rule it out. The point is that in all likelihood, a major appliance/electronic device will probably have a major issue during deployment. You may come home to find the dishwasher has flooded your kitchen. Or right before you get ready to prepare the turkey for Thanksgiving dinner, the oven will keel over. And don't forget that somehow, the children will re-program all of the TVs to speak in Spanish with subtitles. Just look at these things as an opportunity to learn a new skill... like plumbing. 4) Your kids will have moments where you wonder if they were switched at birth. Certainly, your perfectly behaved, rational child can't be having that meltdown, right? Weren't they completely potty-trained before Dad left? Then why are you washing sheets again every day? And someone had to have abducted your teenager and replaced him with that moody smart-talker who suddenly lives down the hall. Deployments affect kids too , but often times in different ways and at different times than they affect us. By mid-deployment, you may have hit your stride, having everything together. That might be the time when your kids just start showing signs of deployment stress. Keep the lines of communication open (yes, even with the teenager), encourage them to engage in activities as much as possible and try to have a little more patience without allowing bad behaviors to go unpunished. A piece of cake, right?! 3) At some point, you will need a good car mechanic, locksmith and/or towing company. I don't care if you drove a brand new car home the day before your spouse left... something WILL malfunction with your vehicle. This is where having a little something in a savings account and a membership for roadside assistance eases your mind. But here's an important hint: Don't ever tell a car mechanic your husband is deployed, ladies. Unless, of course, you have knowledge about the workings of an engine. If you do, you are my hero. Some days, I barely know which side of the car my gas tank is on. If work needs to be done, I get an estimate and detailed description of the work they want to do, then consult someone with more knowledge of cars (and less potential desire to rob me blind). 2) A rodent, reptile, or world-record breaking insect will find itself inside your home. You will most likely discover it right after you emerge from the shower. You will scream. You will contemplate just grabbing your towel and the kids and moving to another state. But you must suck it up and kill, capture or otherwise dispose of this thing immediately. You can do it. As our own Babette Maxwell reminded me recently, "Not knowing where it is in the house because you let it get away is MUCH worse than actually killing it." Did anyone else just feel their skin crawl? 1) You will realize you are much stronger, braver and resilient than you ever thought possible. Every time you are faced with yet ANOTHER ridiculous situation, you somehow manage to pull through. And while it may not seem like it in the moment, you often times look back on the situation with pride, thinking "Heck yeah! I did it!" I don't believe deployments ever get any easier, but I do believe we become more capable of handling them with each little explosion, engine malfunction, temper tantrum or snake wrangling incident. I used to dread the Deployment Curse . But now, it has just become something I accept and try to find the humor in. After all, boring deployments that go perfectly don't make for very entertaining "Top 5" lists, now do they? Connect with us on Facebook!

5 Things Guaranteed to Happen During Deployment

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