Salute to Spouses Blog

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Homefront Spouse: I Am Thankful

With the start of the holiday season, I have started a month long challenge to write down something I am thankful for each day. As a military spouse, it is easy to get on the “Bitter Betty Bandwagon” as I call it and forget about the small things in life that I am lucky to have. More than anything, this challenge has helped me keep perspective on what matters most.

Along with the rest of the East Coast, we prepared for Hurricane Sandy.  As this historic storm roared in, my oldest son developed a high fever and sore throat. It all just seemed like crappy timing. 

As he became sicker, and the storm grew more serious, the stress in our house increased.  We needed extra groceries for the storm and we needed to get to the health clinic for medicine before the storm hit. 

Oh, and I just happened to have outpatient surgery the same day and wasn’t sure what to expect in my own recovery. To say the least, I had a few moments when I moaned and complained. 

Then, something snapped. This kind of stuff usually happens when my husband is deployed or away for training. It’s a running joke between my friends and me that as soon as the hubby leaves, something always breaks or falls apart. It’s just the nature of the beast and no amount of crying or complaining can change it. You learn to suck it up and push through.

This time, things were different. I had my husband home during the storm and my son’s illness; it was a nice change of pace. I had a teammate and we would get through it together. We watched the news as the storm hit and saw how many lives were lost and homes destroyed.

There were spouses and families out there who had to evacuate and prepare for this storm as their loved ones served our country across the world.  I had my husband with me and only experienced very mild rain and wind from Sandy. Soon, the weekend seemed a lot less scary and less stressful.

As military spouses, we go through a lot of ups and downs, but this unique lifestyle has given me some invaluable lessons. There is always someone out there who has it just a little bit harder. You don’t have to go far to see the tragic stories, just turn on the news.

When the tough gets going, I allow myself to go through the emotions. And then, usually pretty quickly, I realize I don’t have it so bad. I have my health, two beautiful children whose runny noses and sore throats will eventually go away, a husband who is home for the holiday season and a roof over our heads. Finding something small each day to be thankful for has reminded me of these blessings in the face of what seems like impending doom.  

This might just be something I continue to do each and every day, not just this time of year.

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