We Are Military Spouses

HAPPY MILITARY SPOUSE APPRECIATION DAY!! 

(Linking up to Riding The Roller Coaster and Household Six Diva)

We laugh, we cry, we live, we love, we breathe.  

We are military spouses.


We know how to mow the lawn, check the oil, and hang the Christmas lights. We know the importance of "Going With The Flow" and "No News Is Good News".

We are military spouses.

Our brains are like dictionaries for acronyms. BCT, OTS, OCS, ABU, ACU, BDU, TDY, MPF, BX, PX, PCS, BTZ, OPSEC, AKA, DEERS, AAFES, AWOL, DOD, CDC, CVR, JAG, MOS, BAH, FSA....

We are military spouses.

We text in military time. "Hey let's meet up at 1300 because I have to have dinner ready by 1800 so Loverface can get to bed and be up at 0500."

We are military spouses.

We may wear red shirts on Fridays, have a Blue Star Flag in our window, a bumper sticker on our car, and a yellow ribbon around our tree. Our hearts are connected to every other person like us and we cry for people we've never met. We feel an incalculable amount of love, respect, pain, and protectiveness over anyone wearing a Gold Star.

We are military spouses.

We know our spouses SSN's better than our own and could answer from a coma, "Last four?" We hate Murphy and laugh out loud when civilians ask us who this prick Murphy is. We say things like, "Dark o' Thirty" and "Hurry Up and Wait". We hate big black tough boxes, white buses, and C bags but when it comes down to it, we are just ready for our loved ones to leave so we can start counting down to their return.

We are military spouses.

Our marriages, our spouses, and even us ourselves are untruthfully slandered and unabashedly judged by everyone who has no right to do so. We are called "The Silent Ranks" because what we do day in and day out requires that we smother all of the things being said to us, about us, and bouncing around in our heads and stand there composed, calm, and collected. What you don't know is the outward display of grace and calm and dispassion is a facade. Its easier to hold our breath and have a smooth outward disposition when we are constantly waiting. Waiting for a phone call, waiting for orders, waiting for a letter, an email, an answer to a million and one prayers... It all requires a semblance of unflappable, quiescent serenity.

We are military spouses.

We've learned to laugh at things so we don't cry and shrug our shoulders at what we know we can't control. It is what is is and we are who we are and we've learned to be perfectly content with it all. Our best friends are often people whom we've never met and our strongest supporters are those who need to know we're there for them too.

We are military spouses.

They call us DEPENDENTS and tell us we're nothing without our SPONSORS but we know the truth. Those words are just titles assigned to us so we fit into the cubbies made for us. We also know if we had a dollar for every time we've heard, "You're just a dependent" then we'd be the rich people everyone thinks we are. We are often overlooked, over-shadowed, and crop up as an after-thought but the truth that resonates within each and every one of us lets us be fine with it all. Our silence is all too often mistook for acceptance, approval, and meek obedience but in reality we are the toughest, most stalwart and resilient people you'll ever meet. If you mess with our lovers, our families, or one of our fellow Milie's you'll be unlucky enough to see just how brawny and backwoods even the most city of us can really get.

We are military spouses.

We laugh because it helps us stay sane.
We cry because we are still human.
We live everyday to the fullest because we know how fragile our world is.
We love fearlessly with our hearts wide open.
And we breathe because sometimes its the only thing we have control over and that helps us have peace of mind enough to do it all again tomorrow.

We are military spouses.

Happy Military Spouse Appreciation Day!!!

Oh I am in such a good mood! I love that we as spouses and families (GF too!) are acknowledged and on a National level no less! So here's to you all my fellow women. The bond between us is indescribable and erasable. Even though I haven't met many of you, I have grown to love you! Straight up.

Mr. Obama and I never see eye to eye, and I mean never but this is from him.

Presidential Proclamation–Military Spouse Appreciation Day
By The White House on 05/07/2010 – 7:24 am PDT

A PROCLAMATION:

"When Americans answer the call to serve in our Armed Forces, a sacred trust is forged.  Our men and women in uniform take on the duty of protecting us all, and their spouses and families also help shoulder this important responsibility.  As we mark Military Spouse Appreciation Day, we reaffirm our steadfast commitment to supporting and honoring the husbands, wives, and loved ones of our Nation’s servicemembers.

At the heart of our Armed Forces, servicemembers’ spouses keep our military families on track.  They balance family life, military life, and their careers all while supporting other military families and giving back to their communities.  Many have served in uniform themselves and, understanding the obligations involved, can provide unparalleled support.  They are pillars of strength in their families, often celebrating their children’s life milestones while the other parent is away.

Military spouses also care for our wounded warriors and honor the memory of our Nation’s fallen heroes, including their own loved ones.  They impact countless lives on military bases and in schools, places of worship, and neighborhoods across our Nation.  Their contributions help protect our freedom by strengthening our communities and our servicemembers.

My Administration is committed to improving opportunities and quality of life for these brave spouses and families who know the separation and stress of war.  We are increasing servicemembers’ compensation as well as funding for better housing, job training, counseling, outreach, and support for spouses and their families.  We are also expanding our ground forces to reduce the strain of repeated deployments, and to give servicemembers more time with their loved ones.

There are many ways for each of us to show our appreciation for military spouses.  Working through community based organizations, workplaces, schools, and places of worship, we can help them support their families, establish or build a career, and address the unique challenges they face.

I am inspired every day by our men and women in uniform and their families.  They are America’s greatest military asset, and my Administration is committed to fulfilling our obligations to them. Today, let us honor the spouses and families who support our servicemembers and, in doing so, help defend our Nation and preserve our liberty.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARRACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim May 7, 2010, as Military Spouse Appreciation Day.  I call upon the people of the United States to honor military spouses with appropriate ceremonies and activities.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this sixth day of May, in the year of our Lord two thousand ten, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-fourth.

BARACK OBAMA"

Why thank you Mr. President.