Being a military wife is definately something that has it's ups and downs. You have to be able to say good bye to your husband at any given time. You have to understand if the phone rings during the middle of the night and he has to go to work. Or if the beeper goes off during a party for your child, your spouse, or yourself and he has to leave immediately then you have to kiss him goodbye and tell him that you love him and that you will be waiting for him to come home. You really have to just be able to live with the rules and regulations of the military. My husband and I have been married for 5 years and when I tell you that we have been on a rollercoaster I am not exagerrating. He was gone the first year of our marriage. He has had to go to classes all the time. In our five years of marriage he has had to be deployed about half of that time. It is a hard life but one that my husband loves. He has wanted to be a Marine since he was a little boy. I feel pride in everything that he accomplishes whether it be passing a physical fitness test or getting promoted. I understand that he has an important job that he must do and I try to support him in every way I can. The hardest parts are the deployments yet the one thing that gets me through all of those are the letters and the knowledge that he loves me and will be home with me soon. As I am writing this he has 10 days before he comes home and I can't wait. I am busy cleaning the house and making sure everything is perfect for him. Update!! He has been home for almost a year now and all is wonderful. We are at Willow Grove Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base now and just moved into base housing and adjusting. I have enclosed two poems about military wives on this page so that maybe I could help some of you understand what it is like to be a military wife. I hope you all enjoy them as much as I did.
The Military Wife
The good Lord was creating a model for military wives and was into His sixth day of overtime whan an angel appeared. She said, "Lord, you seem to be having alot of trouble with this one. What is wrong with the standard model?"
The Lord replied, "Have you seen the specs on this order? She has to be completely independent, possess the qualities of both father and mother, be a perfect hostess to four or forty with an hour's notice, run on black coffee, handle every emergency imaginable without a manual, be able to carry on cheerfully, even if she is pregnant and has the flu, and she must be willing to move to a new location ten times in seventeen years. And, oh yes, she must have six pairs of hands!"
The angel shook her head, "Six pairs of hands? No Way."
The Lord continued, "Don't worry, I will make other military wives to help her. And I will give her an unusually strong heart so it can swell with the pride in her husband's achievements, sustain the pain of separations, beat soundly when it is overworked and tired, and be large enough to say, 'I understand' when she doesn't and say 'I love you' regardless."
"Lord," said the angel, touching his arm gently. "Go to bed and get some rest. You can finish this tomorrow."
"I can't stop now," said the Lord. "I am so close to creating something unique. Already this model heals herself when she is sick, can put up six unexpected guests for the weekend, wave goodbye to her husband from a pier, a runway or a depot, and understand why it's important that he leave."
The angel circled the model of the military wife, looked at it closely and sighed, "It looks fine, but it's too soft."
"She might look soft," replied the Lord. "But she has the strength of a lion. You would not believe what she can endure."
Finally the angel bent over and ran her finger across the cheek of the Lord's creation. "There's a leak," she announced. "something is wrong with the construction. I am not suprised that it has cracked. You are trying to put too much into this model."
The Lord appeared offended at the angel's lack of confidence. "What you see is not a leak," He said. "It is a tear."
"A tear? What is it there for?" asked the angel.
The Lord replied, "It's for joy, sadness, pain, disappointment, loneliness, pride, and a dedication to all the values that she and her husband hold dear."
"You are a genius!" exclaimed the angel.
The Lord looked puzzled and replied, "I didn't put it there."
Author Unknown
The Call
There she sits, by the phone
Willing it to ring,
Needing to hear those words of love
She knows that call will bring.
The hours pass, but pass so slow
And still there is no call
From her love so far away
As the tears start to fall.
Once again, the day drags by
She knows its part of life
Spending days and nights alone
When you're a military wife.
He goes because it is his duty
to protect the freedom of this land
She prays that God will keep him
Safely in his hand
She kisses her children, tucks them in bed
And watches them as they sleep
She never knew that loneliness
Could ever run so deep
She's had not word for three long weeks
She doesn't know if he's okay
She knows there is but one thing to do
And that one thing is to pray
God must have been listening
As she bowed her head just then
Because the phone started ringing
As she whispered, "Keep him safe,Amen."
Before she hangs up the phone
She whispers, "I Love you."
Her heart soars with joy again
When he says, "I Love you too."
There she sits by the phone
Not wanting the call to end
But thankful for the chance
Her love for him to send.
No matter where they are
They are never far apart
It takes more than distance
To separate their hearts
For they were joined in love
And they meant those words for life
That has a special meaning
When you're a military wife.
Written by Laine Estep
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Last updated on April 15, 1999.
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