Exciting and Bittersweet

As the days are dwindling down to just a few left in Great Falls, I am becoming a little sentimental. I know, I know, I could NOT wait to leave this place but now it is becoming a little bittersweet. I have made some AMAZING friendships that will be hard to leave. Owen had a play date today and it reminded me that he is leaving some friends, too. Making new friends and keeping the old ones is what the military life is all about, but even telling myself that 100 times a day, does not make leaving the old ones any easier. I am reminded that I cannot just sit around when we get to the new place and wait for friends to come to me, I need to be proactive. I am so very excited to start our new life in Colorado Springs, but at the same time, sad to be leaving this one behind. Walking in Owen's room today made me get a little teary eyed because soon we will be painting over the walls that we painted together as new parents-to-be waiting the arrival of our first bundle of joy. We brought him home from the hospital to this house, to that room.  I know we will be making some WONDERFUL memories in our next home, too. 

As I drove home from Owen's play date today, all this was running through my head and it reminded me of an e-mail my dear friend Ellyn sent to me (who will be living 2.5 hours away from us now!!!!!!!!!!! and in military terms, that is close! :) I posted the e-mail below. Read it through my eyes if you are not military and it really will touch your heart. And make you understand that what we do as military wives is VERY important and VERY hard..and very fun all at the same time!

What is a MILITARY Wife?
    
    A Military wife can be tough to describe.
    She is a southern belle, a northeastern Mets fan (NCSU in this gals case!), a California 3rd       generation recycler, a Pacific Islander.
    She is short or tall
    a tomboy
    a fashion diva
    a physician's assistant
    a Republican
    a Democrat
    
    A Military Wife is a career gal
    a home-schooler
    a scrap-booker
    an accomplished cellist
    an auto mechanic
    
    What IS a Military Wife?
    
    WHAT is a Military Wife?
    
    What is a MILITARY Wife?
    
    They may look different and each is wonderfully unique
    But this they have in common.
    They have THIS 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 trunk full 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! (As I post this, Neil is working late tonight and will be missing dinner..again..haha)
    
    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 (permanent change of station for those of you not with the lingo...it is what a move is called) 

    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.

 Thank you Ellyn for sending that to me a while ago. I knew it would come in handy at some time..and it made me get through today with only a few tears! :)