Military life

So, my hubby texts me today and says "How would you feel about pcs'ing to Spain in the spring?" Um, hell yeah! I get so excited that of course I tell everyone at work "I'm moving to Spain!" Of course he then says "well my report date would be Feb. 10th." Hmmmm...moving to Spain 7 days before my due date may be ill advised and living in a foreign country with a newborn plus if Paul deploys next summer...I think my parents would kill Paul if he took their grandchild away from them as soon as she is born!

Having married someone in the military and being new to military life I had never really thought before about the sacrifices military families make. While I think getting to move every few years is actually pretty cool and exciting, it also sucks to have to leave your friends/family/job every 3 years. To be fair I usually leave my jobs every year and a half to 2 years, but still...You get really good at saying goodbye. You have a TON of Facebook friends because you are always meeting new people.

The sacrifices military families make are tremendous.

We have friends who have gotten married and who have yet to live with their spouse because they are stationed at different bases in different states.

We have friends who only got to spend days with their newborns before they deployed or who weren't there for the birth of their child. Children give up their time with their parents so that their parents may protect other people's countries.

Military spouses are strong. They carry the burden of the family while their spouse carries the burden of the country and they do it with a smile on their face even when they feel like crying.

Separations aren't the exception...they are the norm.

Your family becomes the people who are stationed with you, new friends that you meet through the military that you would never have known otherwise and yet you spend holidays and special occassions together.

But...you meet amazing people, you see amazing places that you wouldn't have seen otherwise, and you develop amazing pride in our country. Every time I hear a patriotic song or the National Anthem I tear up now because I now know what those songs mean. I now know the people who those songs are written for. And I feel gratitude every day for the blessings in my life.