Hot Topic #2

I want to talk about being in the Service. The anger, frustration, and sacrifice we sometimes face. The days or nights I curse the branch of service I encouraged my husband to re-enlist in. I don’t hate the service most days but there are times in this life. That if it was a person, it would so get an ear full.

Like the night my husband told me; “I leave in tree weeks, I am deploying for a year.” Just to make this really special I’ll be leaving right before Christmas. The majority of units in the Marine Corp. go for shorter times and with much more notice. It was like a double or maybe triple whammy. I can tell you that it was a good thing they did not have a complaint line for me to call that night. Not sure what exactly I would have said if they did. I probably would have started out sounding a bit like a drill instructor with Rabies! Then switched over to sounding like my seven year old. “but, it’s not fair!”

There have been many events in his years of service that have left a sour taste in my mouth and made me either cuss or whine. Being alone at hospital visit or impromptu duty assignments that ruin date night! There are times all I can think of is his EAS. (end of active service) but there are also times that I am so proud to say I am a Marine wife! Although I never planned to learn how to jump start a truck, install a kick stand on a bike or build a garden frame by myself or….
      I can proudly say I have done it. I am also proud of the honorable reasons he joined the service in the first place. The things he does for this country and our family.

The life of a service member comes with so much honor and respect. But it also come with a lot of sacrifice, for both him and the family. Unpredictable schedules, missing holidays, events and just parts of your children’s lives as they grow up. I am capable of having one emotion at a time. I can be proud of the job he is doing but frustrated and sad that he is missing our son’s first birthday, first steps, our daughter dance recital…

You have to be flexible in the life. You have to make the best of the good moments and the bad. Find the humor, when it takes you three tries to install a kick stand. (I had taken pointers from my husband, using the instructions is optional.) The only wives I have ever met that do not get frustrated, upset, sad, and lonely in this life style are the ones whom end up divorced.

It is not an easy life, we have been in long enough to be considered past the point of no return. They say it is smarter to say in for the 20 years now. But every family needs to evaluate this for themselves. As we get closer to the next re-enlistment we will do as we always do. Sit down and weight out the pro’s and con’s of staying in and of getting out. You see we don’t believe there is a point of no return. We believe in doing what is right for our family. If the sacrifices start to be to many or to hard for any of us then we need to change what we are doing. If we are still holding our heads high more often then not then we carry on.

So if you don’t always “love” this life we lead don’t feel alone. Maybe some of the honor to this life style is the difficulties we face and overcome!