"This Too Shall Pass"

This weekend... Friday was date night with friends. I went to Taylor and Jacob's and watched a movie. Nick and Kristie came over too. It felt good to get back into our movie night routine. It was so cozy being curled up on their couch that if the movie hadn't been so intense, I might have fallen asleep! Saturday, I had an appt in Edmond at the dealer to get our oil changed and the tires checked since I was getting the caution symbol on my dashboard for my tires. Turns out, I had a nail in the wall of my tire. I had to buy a new tire but fortunately our vehicle is still under warranty making the oil change free. I raced home to prepare for Sheena's baby shower that I hosted that afternoon. The shower was a lot of fun. A few of the girls stayed after to help clean. We ended up sitting around and talking with Sheena for hours. It was well after dark when they left. It was nice to fill my home with laughter and good conversation. When they left, I got busy setting my table, etc. I jumped probably 10ft in the air when I heard the doorbell ring. As I walked to the door, I saw the door handle rattle like someone was trying to get inside. Luckily, it was locked. I nervously said, "Who is it?" I then heard, "It's Taylor." haha I opened the door and they told me my phone wasn't working. Apparently, Lee had been trying to call me since 6pm and they had come over to make sure I was OK. (Thank you God for blessing us with great friends.) Something was wrong with my SIM card and I wasn't getting any service. I had no idea because I hadn't needed my phone while had a company that evening. Jacob fixed my phone while I used his to talk to Lee. His DS had told them that if anyone could eat a pkg of MRE crackers in 2 minutes then they could have phone privileges. Lee got innovative and started gathering crackers and gave them to DS to organize the event. One guy was able to do it. That same guy that was able to complete the task, his wife delivered a baby that day! He told Lee that he would've loved to be there for the birth of his baby girl but he knows he's doing the best thing for his family where he's at now. I got to talk to Lee for a bit before we reluctantly decided he should try to get some sleep. Sunday morning I woke up to pay bills. Our mortgage is withdrawn today and I needed to mail Lee's insurance check to his "civilian" job so we can keep his benefits. Before paying the rest of our bills, I checked his MyPay account. MyPay is the military link to view your soldier's pay stub, get tax info, etc. When his information uploaded I was horrified to see his deposit on the 1st was for $14.43. I looked, stared and was in shock. It was listed as Other Credit but there wasn't anything displaying and deductions, his salary...nothing. I immediately called the number I had for assistance and of course the office was closed for the weekend. I called his company commander's desk and asked for advice. I was advised to wait until Monday morning, call Lee's recruiter and go from there?!?!?! (Gee...thanks for the help.) In my head I was wishing I had known this all last night when I got to speak to Lee. I cannot describe the loneliness I felt when I hung up the phone with the DS working the command office that day. I was counting on Lee's check to pay the utility bills so I could buy my airfare for his graduation with my check on Friday. I cried cats and dogs. I felt like such a failure. What if they didn't get it fixed by the 15th when his next check was deposited? Many uneasy thoughts were going through my head. All day I was sick over the thought of him not getting paid accordingly for all the hard training he's doing and the sacrifices we have made to be together. I didn't get out of my pajamas all day. Finally, I posted a thread on the Army Wives Forum that I'm a member of and asked advice on what I should do. I gave a detailed description of what I was seeing on Lee's stub. Bittersweetly, many responded that they have seen the same thing. I was told where to click/view to see if there was an additional pay stub. AND THERE WAS! He's getting his normal pay check and the additional credit is where he was shortchanged in a previous check. What a relief. Due to my ignorance, I wasted the day being a vegetable on the couch feeling sorry for myself. I don't share this story for pity but for you to relish in our accomplishments. Jan often reminds me that, "This too shall pass."