What it means...

I saw this post on a fellow milspouse's blog where she posted a challenge to share what it means to be a military wife and thought it would be interesting to see what I could come up with. I think some of it is from a mil wife/mom perspective, but oh well. It's my list and it can be what I want :)

Being a military spouse means you get a lot of heartache coupled with a lot of joy. And a lot of other emotions.

It means that even little girls enjoy wearing "work clothes" like Daddy. Even if their best color isn't a green "bag".

It's feeling a huge sense of pride when at a public event such as a football game and having the National Anthem playing with your hero standing beside you.

It's trying to figure out what to do the day your hero is ready to be deployed and having a pit in your stomach the entire time.

It's having your kids (not even 3 and 5 at the time) still remember the previous deployment homecoming when they were woken up in the middle of the night, were good listeners for Mommy and we welcomed Daddy home a few hours later.

It's the girls wanting to sit down to read a story called "Tell Me About Faith" (a story about a little girl whose father is a soldier) for only a 48 hour TDY.

It's checking on the girls at night once they are asleep to see them cuddling with their Daddy Bears, even if he's home.

It's waiting for that phone call, even if it's at 3 a.m., or email, or text to let me know he's still out there, and is ok. A phone never becomes such an appendage as when your hero is deployed.

It's remembering where your kids were born or what stage of life we were in based on where we were stationed.

It means planning the addition and birth of your second kid around deployments, TDYs and exercises on base. Right down to the day of induction. Just to make sure he can be there to catch her.

It's about always making a home wherever the AF may take us and missing the jet noise when you're stationed somewhere without jets.

It's being sad for military friends who are missing their loved ones and feeling overjoyed for those about to be reunited.

It's the feeling of disappointment when your phone dings from a text and you know it can't be your hero b/c where he is, there is no texting.

It's reading a card your hero wrote and left with you as he said goodbye.

It's reading a letter your hero writes to his girls and them wanting you to read it 77 times a day from where it hangs on the fridge.

It's living up to the line that "absence really does make the heart grow fonder".

It's the school girl feeling and butterflies you feel on the day of his return that can only be explained and completely understood by another military spouse.

It means that when I think about how life has gone and if I would ever change a thing, I don't think twice before knowing I'm in this life for a reason and part of that reason is the man I love, my hero.