Last April I decided to start a garden. I had only ever tried to grow a few things in pots over the years and never done very well with it. This time, I jumped right in. We made some boxes and bought a bunch of seeds and supplies. It wasn’t just that I wanted to grow things, it was also that my husband was deploying and I knew gardening would be a good thing to focus on while he was gone.

He left in June, which is right in the middle of the growing season. This was our hardest deployment yet and I knew I would need something to really focus on that would help take my mind off the fact that he was gone again. I decided gardening would be a good thing to focus on. I would have to tend to the plants. I could get excited when I started to see things grow. Plus, working out in the garden everyday is good for the soul.

That is why I suggest you start your own garden if you will be going through a deployment. It doesn’t have to be too big. It doesn’t have to be too complicated. It’s simply something that can help you during the time your spouse is away. Try to plant things you already eat and love. Tomatoes are a great plant to start with. You can start from seed or buy transplants from the store.

Having a garden to work on will help you see the bigger picture. You will get excited when it is time to harvest, knowing you grew everything yourself. You can send your spouse photos of how things are growing. And if you enjoy it as much as I did, it will become a part of your life and you will want to keep gardening, even after your spouse gets home.