Vermont's Independent Voice
Browse News
Browse Arts + Culture
Browse Food + Drink
Browse Cannabis
Browse Music
Browse On Screen
Browse Events
Browse Classifieds
Browse Personals
Published February 27, 2013 at 10:00 a.m. | Updated March 29, 2023 at 4:57 p.m.
"How are you?" has become a dreaded question. I don’t really know what to say.
My instant response is usually, “I’m fine! How are you?” That seems to be the answer most of us give to such a question, no matter how we are truly feeling. But now it feels wrong to say I am fine. I’m not always fine. Not at all.
My deployed husband is always on my mind. When you ask me how I am doing, I really want to tell you how much I miss him. I want to tell you I cried taking my kids sledding this weekend, because he was missing it. I want to whine and complain. Instead, I save that for when I am writing here in this space. (Aren’t you so lucky?)
I despise the idea of becoming the person who whines every time someone asks how she is doing. It’s just a courtesy question, anyway. Right? Or do you really want to know how I am? Because if you do, I’ll tell you. But you might want to sit down for it first.
Tasha Lehman is a mother of three boys living in Vermont. Her husband, Matt, is a first lieutenant in the Vermont Air National Guard who recently headed overseas for his first deployment. The “Home Front: Diaries from a Vermont military family” series chronicles their journey. Read more about their story in February’s “Use Your Words” essay.
This article was originally published in Seven Days' monthly parenting magazine, Kids VT.
More By This Author
About The Author
Tasha Lehman
Bio:
Tasha Lehman is a mother of three boys living in Williston. Her husband, Matt, is a first lieutenant in the Vermont Air National Guard who recently headed overseas for his first deployment. The “Home Front: Diaries from a Vermont military family” series chronicles their journey. Read more about their story in February’s “Use Your Words” essay.
Tasha Lehman is a mother of three boys living in Williston. Her husband, Matt, is a first lieutenant in the Vermont Air National Guard who recently headed overseas for his first deployment. The “Home Front: Diaries from a Vermont military family” series chronicles their journey. Read more about their story in February’s “Use Your Words” essay.
Speaking of...
-
And Then He Came Home
Jul 22, 2013 -
One-On-One With My Deployed Husband
Jul 2, 2013 -
One-on-One With My Military Kids
Jun 27, 2013 -
Finishing Strong
Jun 6, 2013 -
War in a Different Time
Jun 3, 2013 - More »
Comments
Comments are closed.
From 2014-2020, Seven Days allowed readers to comment on all stories posted on our website. While we've appreciated the suggestions and insights, right now Seven Days is prioritizing our core mission — producing high-quality, responsible local journalism — over moderating online debates between readers.
To criticize, correct or praise our reporting, please send us a letter to the editor or send us a tip. We’ll check it out and report the results.
Online comments may return when we have better tech tools for managing them. Thanks for reading.
