Thursday, May 28, 2009

What is a MILITARY wife?

This post is a copy cat post. I copied it from another military momma's blog, Our wonderful, crazy, beautiful life. You can pop over there and check out her original post. My friend, Tiffany, at Paging Doctor Mommy, sent me the link to check out and i loved, loved, loved it. So, of course, i have to share it. Military wife or not, I'll think you'll like it too!!


What is a MILITARY Wife?

They may look different and each is wonderfully unique, but this is what they have 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 trunkful 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 can put together a WOODEN swing set. 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 and 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,MOS,FOB,ACU 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. A 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.

9 comments:

  1. where are the tissues?? i have always admired you b/c i know just how much you love "home"!! you have made every place yall (even illinois avenue) have lived "home" for your family. from reading your posts, i wouldn't know if you were in alaska, excel, or next door... I love you!!

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  2. That is awesome!! I'm going to steal your stolen post and use for my Military Month post for this week!!

    Hope you're hanging in there!!!!!!!! Lots of thoughts for you guys!

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  3. I love you. You're my favorite military wife and I think you are amazing. I think back to college and all of our "man" issues and I am so thankful for this man of yours that drags you, willingly, all over the country and is such a great daddy to those precious babies. You are always in my prayers, never far from my mind, and always, always, always in my heart.

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  4. Aw, that is awesome! USMC wife, all to familiar with all of that, lol. Love the thought that was put into that. I will have to linky to this post this weekend. Great post!

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  5. Thanks, LeAnne, this is so you!!

    Ms. Nancy

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  6. Thanks sooo much - we are right in the thick of things here and I am certainly feeling the pressures of a military wife right now - may I copy as well, some of my friends would be blessed to read this!! Have you read "Wife of a Soldier a Journey of Faith" by Diana Juergens. If you can get your hands on this book, I highly recommend it, it has been a great encouragement to me and several of my military friends!

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  7. I've had y'all on my mind a lot these last few weeks, but just haven't told you. Praying that this next transition is relatively easy for all of you. Easier said than done, I'm sure. Thank you to Jack for his service and to you and the kiddos for faith, love and support to him. You are all making unselfish sacrifices for us! Thank you!!

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