A Military Wife

I received this email from a friend today, I don't know who wrote it, but it made me cry, esp the last part.

What is a MILITARY Wife?

They may look different and each is wonderfully unique

But this they have in common.

They have THIS IN COMMON!

lots of moving---

moving

moving

moving far from home

moving two cars, three kids and one dog----all riding with HER of course

moving sofas to basements because they won't go in THIS house

moving curtains that won't fit

moving jobs and certifications and professional development hours

moving away from friends

moving toward new friends

moving her most important luggage;

her trunk full of memories

often waiting-

waiting,

waiting,

waiting for housing;

waiting for orders;

waiting for deployment;

waiting for reunion;

waiting for phones calls;

waiting for the new curtains to arrive;

waiting for him to come home for dinner----AGAIN!

They call her 'military dependent',

but she knows better

she can balance a checkbook

handle the yard work

fix a noisy toilet.

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 that don't welcome her.

Reinvents her career with every PCS;

locates a house in the desert,

the arctic,

or the deep south

and learns to call them all 'home'.

She MAKES them all home.

She is fiercely IN-dependent

Military Wives are somewhat hasty

They leap into decorating,

leadership,

volunteering,

career alternatives,

churches 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 coffee, rely on the spouse-network,

accept offers of friendship and favors

and record addresses 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'.

He can't just decide to quit.

He's on-call for his country 24/7

but for you,

he's the most...

Unreliable guy in town!

His language is foreign: TDY, PCS, OPR, ACC, BDU

And so,

a Military Wife is a translator for her family and his.

She is the long-distance link to keep them informed;

the glue that holds them together.

Military Wife has her moments--

She wants to wring his neck,

dye his uniform pink,

and refuse to move to Siberia.

But she pulls herself together.

Give her a few days,

a travel brochure,

a long hot bath,

a pledge to the flag,

and 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

who longs to deploy

who 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.

We have reached our halfway point, just 13 more weeks until my 'Military husband' returns to his family :)