skip to main |
skip to sidebar
Today, May 10, 2013, is Military Spouse Appreciation Day.
You can read my 2011 post here.
When I agreed to move to North Carolina with Randy in 2005, I really had no idea what to expect. I was moving to a different state, I knew nobody, and he was leaving in 6 weeks for his second deployment to Iraq. The spouses I met just a few days later welcomed me with open arms- and taught me everything I know about being a military spouse.
I watched them as we all struggled with a difficult deployment that affected us all deeply. I watched them cook meals, fly to funerals to comfort friends, run meetings, calm our fears, and answer our questions. They did all this while their own spouses were deployed. They were just as afraid as the rest of us- but I would have never known that. They handled everything thrown at them with such grace, courage, and strength, and I have done my best to model myself after what I saw from them.
They taught me so much- and continue to teach me. It is an honor to be amongst their ranks- and to be a part of this amazing community. I am thankful every single day- and so appreciative for the amazing examples I had early on.
I have now been a military spouse for over 5 years. There are good days, bad days, and the best days ever- but every day I know that I do not walk alone. I am surrounded by some of the strongest women I have ever had the privilege of knowing- let alone calling my friends, my sisters. I am only as strong as those that support me- and I am incredibly lucky to be completely surrounded by some of the strongest women I know.
They are the ones that answer my calls at 2 am, drive to comfort me when I just need a friend, put their own needs on the back burner to take care of a neighbor's kid, volunteer way too much, move to a different state the moment orders are issued, and still manage to smile and laugh and enjoy everything that life throws at us.
So- to my fellow milspouses- Thank You. Thank you for all YOU do to support our fighting men and women. Thank you for all you do to support your fellow spouses. Without you, I would not be where I am, or who I am for that matter.
I am eternally grateful to each and every one of you.
As of about 7:00 this morning, we officially put month 2 in the books.
I could not be happier.
This month has been challenging for me, and for once, it really has nothing to do with the deployment. (Alright, maybe it does- if the boy were around, I think maybe I would have handled things better- differently? who knows.)
The boy is still floating around in the middle of who knows where. I am still hearing from him regularly, which is such an amazing gift. I have moments where I feel guilty that I have talked to my husband practically every day since he left, but then I remind myself that we have paid our dues. In past deployments, we have gone months with no communication, so I am thanking my lucky stars for this gift we have this time around.
I just got home from my week long trip to California, which was definitely the bright spot for month 2. It was amazing to be able to spend a week surrounded by some of my closest friends- who truly are my family- when I desperately needed to be reminded what family truly was.
My big grown up realization this month was that maybe family isn't what we are born into. It turns out the family we are born with can stab you in the back and say hateful, terrible things just as easily as a stranger can. The family that Randy and I have created for ourselves- our great, big, wonderful, chaotic Marine Corps Family- will always be there when we need them.
Month 2 highlights:
-A flower delivery at work. Apparently the boy has been a bit of a slacker in the letter writing department- his words not mine!- and felt bad. I love flowers for no reason!
-Turning 29 plus 2..... despite being slightly sad about my age, I really had a fantastic day.
-My car was rear ended AGAIN. This is the third time this has happened since we have moved to NOVA. But- it was taken care of while I was in California, and was able to pick up my car this morning. I handled it. :)
-I kicked off my deployment weight loss journey... which was completely sidelined by my trip west... whoops. I started again today, so we shall see!
-My trip to California!! We were busy! Wine tasting, cupcakes, seals in La Jolla, a fabulous pre-birthday dinner in Coronado, and just lots of time with friends.
-Decisions were made, and deadlines were created. The boy and I have some big choices to make in the upcoming months... mostly concerning our next step in the Marine Corps. He also FINALLY made a decision about the motorcycle he wants... which, according to him, was the most stressful thing for him this deployment. (Seems strange, but this is our new deployment reality, and I will take it!)
All in all, this was another quick month. I am hoping that this coming month will be less stressful, and that I will be able to focus on the positive.
Oh... and one more thing! A book was written and recently published that gives an account of Randy's first deployment in Fallujah, Iraq in 2004. It was an awesome read- definitely hard for me at times, but gave me a much better understanding of what transpired during our very first deployment. Be sure to check it out! The website is: http://www.memoirsofanoutlaw.com/.
