Memorial Day...

Memorial Day is the last Monday in May that we Americans remember the men and women that have died while serving in the Armed Forces. For some it is the beginning of summer; a time we enjoy our kids being home, BBQ's on the patio, and even trips to the lake or beach.

There are Military families - the ones that get hit directly; and in some capacity that means most that deploy. Their sacrifices will forever hold a place in our country's heart, but it doesn't quite fill the void. There are soldiers who return from Iraq and Afghanistan (and other wars) but don't quite make it home from the battlefield; they too are broken. Their struggle doesn't necessarily involve burn units or crutches, but if we could somehow provide a prosthetic for the human soul that could solve it all perhaps.

As you go about this weekend enjoying your family and friends I ask that you say a prayer for those that have inner struggles as well as physical wounds.

God Bless America!


 

Perspective...

As I have mentioned before I am an Army wife. Although it does NOT define me, it does have much to do with the core of who I am. I bring that up in order to add some perspective to my experience. I sit here in one of the last few evenings left in a 12 month deployment looking back on the events of this past year. In some instances I wonder where the time has gone and with others I feel as though time has stood still. Perspective is a funny thing, and we all have our own. I, just like everyone else, have had good times as well as bad. But this is the reality of my past year; my father died very early into the deployment and (unrelated) family ties have been severed. But, that didn't define me nor this deployment. The joy came soon after with the birth of another beautiful grandson, I was able to travel most of the summer and into the fall, and I was featured in a book about Army wives sharing their (military) life experiences. But in all that I realized that my friends  helped me get through it once again. And for that I am truly thankful and blessed. I said at the beginning of this year long venture that even though you may have been through a deployment before, they are ALL different in some way; friendships are strengthened and some are broken beyond repair, but memories are made and we all grow just a little bit stronger as each day passes. We build on our own form of resiliency.

Two perspectives, one reality:
The other week as I was talking to my husband in Afghanistan he asked me if I was excited about him returning.  I thought, sure! The next couple of days I thought about my reaction. Because he seemed sad in my lack of emotion I felt I should explain. I told him that my daily routine was to wake up alone, handle day to day scheduling, and to go to bed at night -- alone. So other than the conversation about him returning it hadn't sunken in just yet. I explained to him that he has begun some of his routine end of deployment activities and that his perspective is most likely very different from mine: most of his personal belongings were being shipped back to the US, he was attending TOA (transition of authority) and casing/uncasing ceremonies. These ceremonies are typical for military units as one relinquishes authority and another assumes authority of a particular area. Although I can see that the number of days dwindling on the calendar, it still really hadn't sank in yet. There were board meetings, luncheons, and friends reuniting with their hereos still going on with me at our duty station and yet a movement from over six-thousand miles away had already begun to take place.  With plenty of experience over the past 11 years, that (redeployment) has become an exact science logistically. And once again (other than conversation) I didn't grasp it all.  He is concentrating on things running smoothly in Afghanistan and I am concentrating on things here at our little place on the prairie.  What we decided is that we were both thankful for busy days, great friends, and the end of yet another deployment where there will no longer be two different perspectives. But holding each tightly once again.
To all my military spouses/fiancés/significant others separated by distance:
Keep Calm, He/She's Coming Home!

Oh the weather outside is frightful....(and your attitude is having a clouding effect on my experience!)

Have you ever noticed that no matter how positive you try to be in any situation that there is always one Debbie Downer strategically placed? You know, that person who delights in bringing down the group or just seems to like to wallow in misery of any kind? Chances are you know at least one person like this or heaven forbid; more than one.  I’ve also known a few people with a not so admirable perspective on life and what I’ve learned from it is that (my) life IS better without them in it!
There are those people who find it awful when it’s snowing outside and they cannot see the beauty of everything covered in white, the crisp in the air and the freshness the new snow brings. They fail to see the benefit of moisture for the soil or the water that is added to our rivers and streams along with a list of other added benefits.  They see it as a mess and an inconvenience. Those people can turn a slight inconvenience into the most horrible experience if you’ll just lend them your ear. Well, I won’t! I don’t want to hear about how horrible, terrible, or nasty things are. I don’t want them to relive that dreadful experience just for the sake or reliving it and never learning from it.

We have so many bad and awful things happening in the world every day and we always have; we always will. The problem is that when the shift goes from reporting these stories to reveling in the misery of the story. I think it is just in our nature to want to have answers and to maybe make some sense of things that just don’t make sense; but by exploiting people in their times of distress and when they are most vulnerable is no excuse for news. Remember we can  just  turn the channel  (figuratively and literally) on those people that want to make a bad experience worse or relive any kind of misery…don’t get so far bogged down in the weeds with them that you cannot see the beauty in the flowers!

My point was that there is always good too. It is up to us as individuals to look for it! Surround yourselves with those people who are positive and lift you up. You’ll find that your life will be so much healthier and happier.  

Merry Christmas Wishes to you and yours….or Happy Holidays or whatever other greeting floats your boat!

Thanks for taking the time to read my rant J