Pamper Time

Today Ben left for Virginia Beach. He will be outprocessing from his active duty position to take a new job starting next week. I had thought he would spend today with us and then leave at or after dinner. After church, however, he said he was hoping to leave closer to 1pm. I was disappointed because I had hoped to run a few errands, including indulging in a manicure. My nails usually look awful but at this point they are all fairly long, so I wanted to get them done so they hopefully stay pretty a little while longer. When Ben asked why I was disappointed he was leaving early, I didn't say anything at first. I didn't want to be selfish and delay him for such an unimportant reason. But I finally admitted I'd hoped to get my nails done. Without hesitation he told me to leave right then, that he was going to have lunch with the kids and pack anyway so there was enough time for me to go before he left. I considered declining for about 10 seconds, then decided I needed the time for myself and I wanted to graciously accept Ben's kindness and generosity. I ended up taking Ava with me (she heard where I was going and was halfway in the car before even asking if it was okay) and we had a nice time hanging out and getting our nails done. I thoroughly enjoyed my few minutes of pampering. It was just what I needed to recharge. I was so grateful to Ben, not for "letting" me go, but for not making me feel guilty for wanting some me-time. It allowed me to let go of my self-inflicted guilt, and made the outing all the more enjoyable.