Thursday, October 13, 2011

Long Distance Romance

Harry and I met online way back when nobody even knew what that meant. Back then only 14% of Americans had any internet access. (Now days over 85% have access) In 1996, he was working for Apple Computers in Santa Clara and I was in the mountains of Colorado working for Apple's online community called: 
eWorld logo

I was also finishing up my divorce and feeling very alone when the children were at their dad's house.  It was so very nice to be far away in the mountains but connected by the web to somebody as nice as Harry.
He had told me that he was an artist.  I told him that I had written a children's book and would love an illustrator. We decided that we would work together.  What happened instead was the beginning of a great friendship.  We would spend hours and hours talking on the phone or through IM's online.  Every morning, I would wake up to a sweet email from him.  It was so nice to get to know him before I really ever met him.

Harry says that he knew almost right away that we would get married.  I think, because of my recent divorce, it took me a bit longer.  I'm glad he hung around until I was ready.

Fifteen years later we are once again in a long distance relationship... well sorta.   I manage a small restaurant up in the mountains. I usually leave home Thursday afternoons and come home way past bed time on Sunday night (or if it snows, early Monday morning). It is hard to be away from family life and my little ones, 8 and 10 years old.  For survival, I make myself NOT think about what I’m missing. I put in 14 hour days and call usually once a day. I work and then sleep- then go back to work.  I do nothing else.

What makes this even close to tolerable is that I home-school Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. The girls are with me the entire time. I don’t have to share them with a teacher or babysitter. I get to see the “a-ha!” moments when they finally understand a math concept. I get to be there when they want to cuddle.

I do miss the days when we could afford for me to be a stay-at-home mom. I miss eating every dinner together, doing home improvement projects and going to the zoo with the family.  What we do is not perfect, but it works for us.