For this Navy guy, a Military Spouse is What Truly Drives the Ship
I remember vividly the sound of my 12 year old daughter wretching violently after I told her that I would be deploying to Afghanistan for the better part of a year. Already dealing with a wide range of emotions, I knew there wasn't much I could do at that point to soften the news to my daughter, or the rest of my family and friends. What gave me solace, and more than a little confidence that things would be okay, was the fact that my wife Beth was such a rock and source of strength for us all.
Make no mistake, military life can be fraught with challenges and burdens, as well as unique joys and pride associated with service. It's fair to say that military spouses get shouldered with too much of the former, and not enough of the latter. Yet they persevere and demonstrate the resilience that is needed for families to function, to grow, to... thrive. All while serving essentially as single parents during long absences, navigating their own complicated feelings, and rogering up for the adventure that can be military life.
For some, that may mean frequent moves and repeated re-settling. For others, especially those who have spouses /partners serving in the reserve or guard, it's about developing the ability to understand how a part-time military commitment can feel like a full time lifestyle change. But through it all, military spouses remain focused and determined to steer towards the ultimate goal: a functioning family who experiences all the wonderful things that this lifestyle has to offer while remaining a fortified family unit. And while there are inevitably numerous obstacles and bumps in the road that are experienced, service members such as myself know that it ONLY works because our spouses and partners actively and intentionally work to make it so.
To all the military spouses, especially my Beth....today and EVERY DAY -- thank you for all that you do to drive our ship where we need to go!
