Saturday, 16 May 2009
-
Military Spouse Appreciation Day
by Mama Fox It is a day that is set aside each year to recognize and honor the contributions and sacrifices of military spouses. In 1984, then President Ronald Reagan proclaimed the Friday before Mother’s Day to be designated as Military Spouse Appreciation Day. Since then, each President and senior military leaders have echoed the sentiments expressed by President Reagan. In addition to the public support and recognition of these leaders, events are commonly sponsored at installations across the nation and around the world to recognize the importance of our unsung heroes.
Military spouses, past and present, are an extraordinary group of individuals. While their husbands or wives took an oath and signed on a dotted line when they joined the military, spouses were enlisted through the back door with the vows they took on their wedding day. In choosing their mates, they inadvertently chose their way of life. While others have the luxury of decorating their homes knowing they will be there for the duration, military spouses decorate their homes hoping they will be there for three years. While others slowly gather a network of hairdressers, churches, dentists and doctors; military spouses hit the ground running. They know they have a limited time to set down roots before it’s time to pack up again.
For many people, the constant moving would discourage them from connecting with the local community; for the military spouse, the opposite is true. Adversity just makes them stronger. What some people view as obstacles, they take on as challenges to be overcome. With only eighteen months to three years at most duty stations, they view it as a limited time to make friends and leave a mark on the community. They jump in wholeheartedly into the PTA, church and community. Every once in a while, they may glance at the diplomas on the wall and wonder what if. Then reality comes crashing in and they realize that they are the only constant for their children while mom or dad is deployed or remote, and they remain steadfast in their conviction that they are doing the right thing.
They come from diverse backgrounds, hailing from places such as: Texas, Florida, Germany or Japan, but the one thing they have in common is their unfailing support of their military husband or wife and the mission of the United States military. The husbands and wives of all our men and women in uniform worldwide deserve our thanks. We salute your strength, patriotism and support. You make the mission possible.
(From Milspouse.com)Do you know anyone that has a spouse in the military?
-
recommend
- recs 0
-
share
-
email
- sent 0
Related Posts
Post a Comment
- Back to momaroo's Momaroo Site!
- Note: your comment will appear in momaroo's local time zone: GMT -05:00 (Eastern Standard - US, Canada)
About the Author
-
- From: mamafox
- Name: mamafox
- About Me: Hi y'all, I'm Mama Fox! I'm a young, optimistic homeschooling mama of three boys. This is all about our adventures and at times misadventures of raising little men in today's world and pretty much whatever else is on my mind. :)
Stats: This Week All Time Posts: 0 70 Views: 0 73335 Comments: 0 1111 View all posts by mamafox
Comments (9)
I'm an Air Force wife ---- we spent seven months of our first year of marriage separated, and the first six months of my pregnancy separated.
My brother spends six months of EVERY year away from his family, though it's broken up into three months gone, six months at home, three months gone. It's weird but, the two of us have just gotten use to it.
Being a military wife is hard, especially when kids are involved. But it's so worth it to see my husband in his uniform and know that he is proudly serving our wonderful country. I thank God for his (and my brother's) willingness to serve.
I'm an Air Force wife also. I feel blessed because I am one of the lucky ones married to a man who doesn't deploy. His job cannot be done elsewhere, but he may go on temporary assignments though. We spent my first and part of my second trimesters apart while he was in BMT. It was tough but we are closer than ever. I am proud that my husband serves in our military!
i totally get this day. i come from a LONG line of military families. and right now i'm in a military-esque family. where my parents arent IN the military.. but my dad is a contractor and is downrange right now. he's been down there for about 2-3 years [off and on..] and it makes me kinda sad that contractors are never included in stuff like this. but nevertheless.. i love mil.spouse appreciation day.
I was a Marine Corps wife until my husband decided to get out to go to school. We met in high school and he left for bootcamp shortly after. We spent much of our early relationship and marriage separated. He was deployed twice, even serving on the forward group that first entered Baghdad. There were many lonely, worried nights. But we stuck it out and now we are happily settled down into civilian life.
I didn't even know there was a Military Spouse Appreciation Day! Thank you so much for posting this.
I'm an Army Wife. I'm currently going through an deployment right now but my time has almost come to an end. Husband is coming home end of this month. it's been a LONG year but we made it! I can't believe it's already been a year... wow but I'm just glad and excited to finally have my husband home!
I'm a very new Navy wife- my husband is at boot camp right now. The hardest part of him being gone is watching our kids grow without him. It's heartbreaking, but I know that he's finally doing something he's proud of and enjoys. It's hard, but I'd follow him to the ends of the Earth!
i am a marine wife, he was gone 9months of our first year married and then in sept we are faceing our first deployment and our daughter will be 6 months when he leaves. its nice to know that while we are left behind we are still appreciated!!
i'm an army wife.
: )
I have been reading alot of letters lately written to the military wife however as a military wife there are a few things I would like to say here is my list:
* Be grateful. Grateful that I am willing to have my other half gone for months upon months of the year so your can come home everynight.
* Instead of asking "how do you do it?, How do you deal with him being gone all the time?" Just say thank you or ask if there is anything you could do for me today. I do it because I have to, things still happen when he leaves, our lives continue with or without him here. I do not enjoy being reminded that I have alot on my plate, this is obvious to me and having to explain it over and over to people is depressing and annoying, the busier I am the less I have to think about him being gone.
* If you want to help me with something offer to babysit or bring over dinner, or maybe just call to talk about the day, kick back on my pourch and have a few beers with me. Please do not expect that I have a sitter and can go out all the time.
* If I want to talk about how he is doing overseas or if I have talked to him lately I will tell you, again this reminder from you is not helpful.
* If you see me out on town with all my children and I look like I haven't brushed my hair in weeks, and I am yelling---please do not make rude comments about my parenting, I am tired, worn out, heart broken and lonely we are probably just out because we had to be, or I need them to run off steam at the playland!
* If you see me randomly crying just know I am okay and will talk to you when I need to, it happens.
* Please do not be angry if I call at 2 am, I am lonely and need a friend. I know it is late and again I'm sorry
* Before my husband leaves be respectful of OUR time, he might be going away fora year or more---the last two weeks are our time and our time only. If we do not call and make plans with you please leave us alone it is a hard time for us to say goodbye
* I know he may never come home, I know his job is dangerous and I know what all this means. I will deal with one day at a time and one day at a time only, I do not want to talk about the chances of these things happening.
* I have young children and they know dad is at work, they do not need to know what he does exactly or what he is doing overseas. Please do not inform them of this information or talk about specifics while they are around they DO NOT need to know these things
* I have to be mom and dad and everything I can not afford to be sad right now so again please let me talk to you when I need to. Respect my choices when it comes to my children you might think they are getting spoiled but remember they are ahving a hard time too and might need a little extra attention.
* I am glad my husband fights for our country and our freedom do not try to debate the need or reason for war with me ...I know what we are fighting for so just appreciate it and go on your way.
* If we are togeather and my husband calls please know that I will drop EVERYTHING I am doing and take the call I do not care if I am being rude or preventing other plans from happening at that moment. I do not gets calls often and they are not for long periods of time so please do not talk to me then, do not listen in, do not be mad, just be patient and know that this call may be the last I ever get so in that moment it is more important that anything else in the world.
* Also please know that after that call I could be excited or really upset either is okay and will pass.
* Last but not least, being a military wife is the hardest job ever, it is exhausting and emotional, somedays I wonder why I do it, and it does not take long to remember.
So these things I tell all the other women out there. Military wives are special people, we work hard and have the weight of the world on our shoulders so please just think about that and say thank you or be kind to us and just be there when we call on you to help us through!