There is nothing easy about it, and anyone who tells you otherwise has not lived it from either side.
Separation is painful in a way that is hard to describe to someone who has not experienced it. The uncertainty, the financial pressure, the social stigma, the loneliness of holidays and milestones passing without the person you love present, all of it accumulates. Time does help, but it does not make the weight disappear.
What does help is staying connected in whatever ways are sustainable for you. Consistent letters, regular calls, visits when they are possible and practical, and photos that remind your inmate of the life waiting for them all make a real difference. InmateAid exists specifically to make those connections easier and more affordable, from discounted phone service to letters and photos sent with your address kept private.
The caution worth hearing, especially early in a sentence when emotions are running high, is to not go broke trying to ease their burden. Inmates have a tendency to lean heavily on the people supporting them from outside, and the line between genuine need and want can get blurry fast. Commissary requests, phone money, and visit costs add up quickly. Do what you are genuinely able to do without compromising your own financial stability. You need to be intact when they come home.
Taking care of yourself is not selfish. It is what makes you someone who can still be there at the end of the sentence. Find people in your life who understand what you are going through, lean on them, and give yourself permission to have hard days without guilt.