4.13.2010

A Military Wife

I've been trying to catch up on my blog reading and saw this posted on my friend Marie's over at ABU's & Cute Tennis Shoes. She always posts great stuff and I loved this so I had to steal it. It wasn't written by her and she isn't sure who did write it but its PERFECT. It was just what I needed on a day like today. A reminder that the sacrifice and "hard stuff" is all worth it.


"A military wife is mostly girl. But there are times, such as when her husband is away and she is mowing the lawn or fixing a youngster's bike, that she begins to suspect she is also boy. She usually comes in three sizes: petite, plump and pregnant. During the early years of her marriage it is often hard to determine which size is her normal one.

She has babies all over the world and measures time in terms of places as other women do in years. "It was in England that the children had the chicken pox...In was in Texas, Paul was promoted..." At least one of her babies was born or a transfer was accomplished while she was alone. This causes her to suspect a secret pact between her husband and the military providing for a man to be overseas or on temporary duty at times such as these.

A military wife is international. She may be a Kansas farm girl, a French mademoiselle, a Japanese doll, or a German Fraulein. When discussing service problems, they all speak the same language. She can be a great actress. To heartbroken children at transfer time, she gives an Academy Award performance: "New Mexico is going to be such fun! I hear they have Indian reservations...and tarantulas...and rattlesnakes." But her heart is breaking with theirs. She wonders if this is worth the sacrifice.

An ideal military wife has the patience of an angel, the flexibility of putty, the wisdom of a scholar and the stamina of a horse.

If she dislikes money, it helps.

She is sentimental, carrying her memories with her in an old footlocker. One might say she is a bigamist, sharing her husband with a demanding entity called "duty." When duty calls, she becomes No. 2.

Until she accepts this fact, her life can be miserable.

She is above all a woman who married a man who offered her the permanency of a gypsy, the miseries of loneliness, the frustration of conformity and the security of love. Sitting among her packing boxes with squabbling children nearby, she is sometimes willing to chuck it all in until she hears the firm step and cheerful voice of the lug who gave her all this.

Then she is happy to be...his military wife.
"

I hope you all enjoyed. Until next time my blog lovelies.

♥ Mrs. S.

3 comments:

Nicole said...

this fits all the girls I know. I think I need to work on the patience thing!!

JG said...

"Is she dislikes money, it helps." Bahahaha. That cracked me up. I love this!! I'm currently in my "plump" stage. I don't know if I was ever petite, and haven't hit pregnant yet.

Mama Steele said...

It doesn't always end when they leave the military either! I told Matt when we got married that I was glad he was out of the Army before we got married so that we wouldn't be moving every 3 or 4 years. So what did we do? Got married, moved to Alabama- 6 years; moved to Utah- 3 years; moved to Colorado- 4 years; moved to Arizona- 10 years; moved to Utah- 2 years and counting! But this time I told him that I am done! He can take a job anywhere, but 6 moves, 4 states, 6 houses and 2 apartments later I am ready to be settled! =}