Each one may look different and each one is wonderfully unique, but this they have in common:
Lots of MOVING, MOVING, MOVING, MOVING far from home, MOVING two cars, four kids, and one dog---all riding with her of course. MOVING sofas to basements because they don't fit in THIS house, MOVING curtains that wont fit, MOVING jobs and certifications and development hours, MOVING away from old friends, MOVING towards new friends, MOVING her most important luggage, her trunk full of memories.
Often WAITING, WAITING, WAITING, WAITING for housing, WAITING for orders, WAITING for deployments, WAITING for phone calls, WAITING for reunions, WAITING for the new curtains to arrive, WAITING for him to get home for dinner, again.
They call her the military dependant, but she knows better: She is fiercely IN-dependant, She can balance the checkbook, handle the yard work, fix a noisy toilet, bury the family pet... She is intimately familiar with drywall anchors and toggle bolts, She can file the taxes, sell a house, buy a car, or set up a move---all with ONE power of attorney. She welcomes neighbors who don't welcome her. She re-invents her career with every PCS (permanent change of station)Locates a house in the desert, the Arctic, or the deep south and learns to call them all "home"
Military wives are somewhat hasty, they leap into: decorating, leadership, volunteering, churches, careen alternatives, and friendships. They don't have 15 years to get to know people. Their roots are short but flexible. They plant annuals for themselves and perennials for those who come after them.
Military wives quickly learn to value each other. They connect over lunch, rely on the spouse network, accept offers of friendship and favors, record address in pencil...
Military wives have a common bond, the military wife has a husband unlike other husbands, his commitment is unique He doesn't have a JOB, He has a MISSION that he can't just decide to quit, He's on call for his country 24/7. But for her he's the most unreliable guy in town. His language is foreign: PCS, TDY, OPR, BDU, ACU, TAD, and so his wife is a translator for his family and hers. She is the long distance link to keep them informed; the glue that holds them together.
A military wife has her moments: she wants to dye his uniform pink, wring his neck and refuse to move to Siberia, but she pulls herself together, give her a few days, a hot bath, a travel brochure, a pledge to the flag, a wedding picture, and she goes. She packs, She moves, She follows.
Why?
What for?
How come?
You may think it is because she has lost her mind.
But actually it is because she has lost her heart.
It was stolen from her by a man who puts duty first, longs to deploy, salutes the flag, and whose boots in the doorway remind her that as long as he is her military husband, She will remain his military wife.
I love my MILITARY MAN!
Lots of MOVING, MOVING, MOVING, MOVING far from home, MOVING two cars, four kids, and one dog---all riding with her of course. MOVING sofas to basements because they don't fit in THIS house, MOVING curtains that wont fit, MOVING jobs and certifications and development hours, MOVING away from old friends, MOVING towards new friends, MOVING her most important luggage, her trunk full of memories.
Often WAITING, WAITING, WAITING, WAITING for housing, WAITING for orders, WAITING for deployments, WAITING for phone calls, WAITING for reunions, WAITING for the new curtains to arrive, WAITING for him to get home for dinner, again.
They call her the military dependant, but she knows better: She is fiercely IN-dependant, She can balance the checkbook, handle the yard work, fix a noisy toilet, bury the family pet... She is intimately familiar with drywall anchors and toggle bolts, She can file the taxes, sell a house, buy a car, or set up a move---all with ONE power of attorney. She welcomes neighbors who don't welcome her. She re-invents her career with every PCS (permanent change of station)Locates a house in the desert, the Arctic, or the deep south and learns to call them all "home"
Military wives are somewhat hasty, they leap into: decorating, leadership, volunteering, churches, careen alternatives, and friendships. They don't have 15 years to get to know people. Their roots are short but flexible. They plant annuals for themselves and perennials for those who come after them.
Military wives quickly learn to value each other. They connect over lunch, rely on the spouse network, accept offers of friendship and favors, record address in pencil...
Military wives have a common bond, the military wife has a husband unlike other husbands, his commitment is unique He doesn't have a JOB, He has a MISSION that he can't just decide to quit, He's on call for his country 24/7. But for her he's the most unreliable guy in town. His language is foreign: PCS, TDY, OPR, BDU, ACU, TAD, and so his wife is a translator for his family and hers. She is the long distance link to keep them informed; the glue that holds them together.
A military wife has her moments: she wants to dye his uniform pink, wring his neck and refuse to move to Siberia, but she pulls herself together, give her a few days, a hot bath, a travel brochure, a pledge to the flag, a wedding picture, and she goes. She packs, She moves, She follows.
Why?
What for?
How come?
You may think it is because she has lost her mind.
But actually it is because she has lost her heart.
It was stolen from her by a man who puts duty first, longs to deploy, salutes the flag, and whose boots in the doorway remind her that as long as he is her military husband, She will remain his military wife.
I love my MILITARY MAN!
3 comments:
What a great post! I love your family picture! Your kids are so cute. Love ya and miss you lots.
Oh what a great post.
Okay, thanks for making me cry, Heidi!! Beautifully written, and hits the nail on the head perfectly.
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