WALKING ALONGSIDE OUR MILITARY: A LETTER TO AMERICA’S PATRIOTS

Walking alongside you, our soldiers, is the greatest pleasure of our lives. We discover the world, one base at a time. It is an undeniably exciting journey. We navigate life together through challenges that make us stronger both as a team and individually. You are the players; we are the cheerleaders. You are the service members; and we are the volunteers. You are the ones who sacrifice so much of themselves; we are the ones wearing many hats when you are gone. When you come home exhausted from talking to people all day, we are prepared to be quiet in your presence, so you can rest your mind. When you are called unexpectedly to work, we are understanding and supportive of your duty. 

We want you to know that we see you playing with our children when you have no energy left. We see you planning family trips when you’d rather stay home and relaxed. We notice you calling your parents on your way to or from work trying to stay connected and balance the different time zones and busy schedule. We watch you putting an effort into your physical fitness in your off time so you can stay fit for the mission. We are not blind to the fact that you balance so many things and make it look effortless. 

But secretly, we hope that you see us too. We hope that you see us underneath the piles of endless laundry. We hope you see us cooking for others in the military community when cooking isn’t really our specialty or source of joy. We hope that you witness us becoming professional home organizers and decorators so that each one of our houses can truly feel like a home to us. We hope you see us trying to better our careers despite all odds being against us. We hope you are understanding when after all day of cleaning up after kids we have nothing to show for it. 

When you are gone for an extended amount of time, we discover our strength, and we dig deeper than we thought we ever could. In your absence, we nurture the relationships with other military spouses, and we become each other’s village. Our path as military spouses is filled with unforeseen obstacles. Our life is full of waiting for what is to come next. We hope for the best and prepare for the worst. We master adaptability and resilience. We worry for your safety, and the safety of the world. We are prepared to take care of your physical and emotional wounds. 

Our dear soldiers, we cherish every moment with you. The journey we are on is not for the faint of the heart, but our love and commitment shall carry us through any valley. Every military marriage is challenged on the very vows it stands on: “for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health”. Never give up on us, as we never give up on you. 

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