This was sent to me by an Air Force wife who’s soon leaving us for (I think) Florida. Or was it New Mexico?
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What is a Military Wife?*
By Jane Hubbard Hyde
A Military wife can be tough to describe.
She is a southern belle, a northeastern mets fan, a California 3rd generation re-cycler, a Pacific Islander.
She is short or tall
a tomboy
a fashion diva
a physician’s assistant
a Republican
a Democrat (yes, even THAT!)
A Military Wife is a career gal
a home-schooler
a scrap-booker
an accomplished cellist
an auto mechanic
What is a MILITARY Wife?
They may look different and each is wonderfully unique
But this they have in common.
lots of moving—
moving, moving, moving far from home
moving two cars, three kids and one dog—-all riding with HER of course
moving sofas to basements because they won’t go in THIS house
moving curtains that won’t fit
moving jobs and certifications and professional development hours
moving away from friends moving toward new friends
moving her most important luggage; her trunkful of memories
often waiting-
waiting, waiting, waiting for housing; waiting for orders; waiting
for deployment; waiting for reunion; waiting for phones calls;
waiting for the new curtains to arrive; waiting for him to come home
for dinner—-AGAIN!
They call her “military dependent”, but she knows better
she can balance a checkbook
handle the yard work
fix a noisy toilet.
She is intimately familiar with drywall anchors, and toggle bolts.
She can file the taxes, sell a house, buy a car, or set up a move, —
–all with ONE Power of Attorney.
She welcomes neighbors that don’t welcome her.
Reinvents her career with every PCS; locates a house in the desert,
the arctic, or the deep south and learns to call them all “home”.
She MAKES them all home.
She is fiercely IN-dependent
Military Wives are somewhat hasty
They leap into decorating, leadership, volunteering, career
alternatives, churches and friendships.
They don’t have 15 years to get to know people.
Their roots are short but flexible.
They plant annuals for themselves and
perennials for those who come after them.
Military Wives quickly learn to value each other.
They connect over
coffee, rely on the spouse-network and accept offers of friendship
and favors and record addresses in pencil.
Military Wives have a common bond.
The Military Wife has a husband unlike other husbands his commitment
is unique He doesn’t have a job, he has a “mission” he can’t just
decide to quit he’s on-call for his country 24/7 but for you, he’s
the most
Unreliable guy in town!
His language is foreign
TDY
PCS
OPR
ACC
BDU
And so, a Military Wife is a translator for her family and his.
She is the long-distance link to keep them informed, the glue that
holds them together.
Military Wife has her moments—-
She wants to wring his neck, dye his uniform pink, and refuse to
move to Siberia.
But she pulls herself together.
Give her a few days, a travel brochure, a long hot bath, a pledge to
the flag, and a wedding picture.
And she goes.
She packs.
She moves.
She follows.
Why?
What for?
How come?
You may think it is because she has lost her mind.
But actually it is because she has lost her heart.
It was stolen from her by a man
who puts duty first
who longs to deploy
who salutes the flag
and whose boots in the doorway remind her that as long as he is her
Military husband,
She will remain his Military wife.
*Disclaimer: I’m not your normal military wife, since I’m still part-time military, sometimes my husband has to bear part of this burden.
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