"WEEKEND WIDOW (or widower) syndrome." That's how some spouses have come to refer to the days spent alone while their partner is out of town at conferences, sports competitions, recreational outings. These activities can sometimes encroach on family time and create unwanted tension in the home.

It can be tough to see the other person's point of view, and often one party is left feeling hurt. I've been there. But through prayer, I learned that nothing chases disappointment and confusion away like relying on God to restore the balance. Watching Him work can be humbling.

When our kids were close to the ages of one, five, and seven, my husband started to compete in benchrest rifle shooting matches and began traveling out of town on long holiday weekends such as Memorial Day, the Fourth of July, and Labor Day. To my husband, this was more than just a fleeting hobby. He actually won a national championship. And I felt both proud and happy for him.

But since I was left alone to care for the children over these holidays, I was often filled with resentment, and I missed my husband's company. We had no family living in our city, and my friends were usually busy with their own families. I felt my husband should be choosing time with the kids over rifle matches. When he came home, he could tell I was feeling frazzled, but I never shared the full extent of how much this situation bothered me. I just didn't feel as if we were on the same page.

So I did what I knew would help the most. I began to pray. As I look back, I see that my prayers were really centered around the concept that as children of the one God, we're all really "on the same page" in His eyes, all of the time, and are blessed by Him. The Bible records, "For in him we live, and move, and have our being" (Acts 17:28). Because we each express qualities from God, such as love, no one is deprived of good, or left outside the circle of God's arms. And my prayers began showing me that it wasn't as if God knew anything about partiality or exclusive good reserved for my husband. Our family could consistently experience good, whether together or apart. Science and Health says: "Love is impartial and universal in its adaptation and bestowals. It is the open fount which cries, 'Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters'" (p. 13). Because we reflect God, there is no limit to the love we're equipped to express and receive, even when we're challenged to recognize it in unexpected ways.

So gradually, I began to listen for divine guidance when my husband left for weekend competitions. And with this expectancy of good came creative activities. It wasn't always easy, and I still battled feelings that I was in the right. But when the children and I would go to the zoo, have picnics in the park, and go swimming, it turned out to be a lesson for me in learning to be more independent and to rely more on God as the ultimate source of my joy.

Something from Mary Baker Eddy's writings has always inspired me: "Early had I learned that whatever is loved materially, as mere corporeal personality, is eventually lost" (Retrospection and Introspection, p. 32). I had to learn happiness comes directly from God, not necessarily through another person's presence, and to love the qualities of God my husband expressed, no matter where he was.

My disappointment and resentment started to fade as I learned to love more selflessly. Increasingly, I began to see our natures as naturally selfless, patient, considerate, kind, and complete.

Eventually, my husband did decide to stop going to these sporting matches in order to spend more time with the kids. And this carried over into us both attending many of our children's activities together. Ice skating competitions, wrestling matches, and show-choir performances were just a few.

Now, my husband and I share couples activities such as hiking and traveling. And I'm grateful to feel the freedom to pursue interests that sometimes take me on a trip away from home. This sweet lesson continues to remind me that there's always a spiritual support system at hand in times when we need it most.

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