i am an engineer's wife

Francis pouring over Lonely Planet's Singapore

guide while I'm being all sentimental

Francis and I have talked about what entails his being a geodetic engineer for numerous times. One major concern--I think it's the only concern--is that there are out-of-town, even out-of-the-country, assignments that may span a couple of days to a number of months. The longest we've been apart was when he was assigned (for the second time) in Cavite. He was there for five months, and this was during the time when we were preparing for our wedding. In fact, that assignment made me panic and question if he can really be hands-on on our wedding preps. But because it was just in Cavite, Francis was able to go home to Novaliches every weekend, giving him more than enough time to really help in our wedding preps. And I can say he did a great job, what with all the excel files he prepared just to make sure our wedding logistics are in place.

Although I am well aware of his possible far-from-home/far-from-me assignments, I still can't help but worry and whine and cry every time such work demands present themselves (of course, I pray they don't come often; if they do, that they be not too far and long). I know it's never easy for Francis to break the news to me. In fact, and more often than not, he exerts some effort to cushion the blow, so to speak. He'd usually treat me to a fancy dinner--a sign that he's about to break such news. (Hence, I'm a bit wary of fancy dinner invitations from him. Haha!)

***

Today is Francis' first day in Singapore. It's also my first day to learn how not to worry too much about my husband who's abroad for the first time. If I only had enough sense to fix the papers I needed to get myself my own passport way before this trip was even a possibility, I would've been there with him. I wouldn't be stuck here writing this blog (but thanks to my sis-in-law, who'll be keeping me company for 4 days that her brother's in Sing.). Yes, I'll be mushy: I miss my husband terribly. It's the first time we're this far away from each other--in our almost 11 years of being together. But I know this is how God teaches us to give more importance to each other, how to grow more fond of each other. This is God's way of teaching us to trust in our prayers, in Him. This is one of His small ways that tell me that after praying for my husband's safety, I have to learn how to lay my cares down and let Him do the job. I've always been a worrywart, and I know it's never helpful. What's the sense of praying if I would only keep on worrying even afterwards, right?

But I'm still really wishing and hoping and pleading for time to fly so fast that it's already Friday evening, when I'd be on my way to NAIA Terminal 3 to pick up and welcome back my wonderful husband. But I know that four days of being apart can spell a sweeter difference in our relationship. Plus of course, I know Francis is enjoying his time in Sing. Why, he already went gaga over hard-to-find CDs, and was ranting about how he might run out of cash hoarding those CDs (the lamenting about how expensive they are relative to the prices here came first before the ranting)! And knowing that he's enjoying his short stay there makes me happy, too.