Happy Veterans Day!
For some time now, I've been wanting to approach this subject and I thought today it made a lot of sense. I'm a military wife, and you may already know that about me, or you may not, as I don't really talk about it. I really don't carry the title as it doesn't completely define who I am. It's a part of me nonetheless, and it has changed me. And I'm beginning to think that I should disclose it more often. Not for pity or empathy, but for a deeper understanding of my family.
Being a military wife has opened my eyes a bit more about the world and our country. It's made me appreciate our country's core values that much more. Two deployments later, two kids and a dog later, and four moves in 8 years. That's a lot of change to take in just 9 years of marriage {10 years altogether}. While I would say that all of this change and instability has made me stronger, I think it has also made our marriage stronger, and our family bond tighter. But as you can imagine, not everything goes smoothly with every move, and no marriage is perfect. I would say that there have been times during each move that really tests our marriage -- to the point that divorce has been discussed in the heat of an argument. Being married to a military officer isn't easy. Not because they are military, but because their title and duty comes with many sacrifices, including family time and so much more, for the sake of this country. They are trained to think Country first above else. But yet in the midst of it all, we have so much love for one another and our family. We've been blessed to call so many places home, to have friends scattered all over the world, and for our kids to grow up being accepting and respectful of different cultures and languages. We are truly blessed!
But this post isn't all about me. It's to celebrate the Veteran in my life, my husband. For all of his sacrifices for this nation. For his perseverance to do something for the greater good. For his commitment to fight for our freedoms. He does it out of the good in his heart. He joined the military at an old age of 28 {in the military that's old} right after 9/11. He left the private business sector and instead chose the military. That in itself is a brave act. He enlisted, meaning he started as a private, even though he could have immediately become an officer. He did infantry and he's fought in a war for the American people like so many others. After doing some years in the enlisted section, he then became an officer. And his end goal is to join Congress one day -- to make this country even a better nation. I believe he will, because when he sets his mind to accomplish something, he meets his goal. So today, I celebrate him and all Veterans. I'm so proud of him! Because really without our Veterans, this nation wouldn't be what it is.
And now more than ever, I feel inclined to teach my children what an honor it is to be a veteran, and to have a veteran in our own home. To say thank you for their service and sacrifice for the sake of this country. It never goes unnoticed and that's one of the reasons this country is great. We made cards for Daddy to recognize his wonderful dedication to our nation. But we can always do more for others, and this year we're getting more involved.
If you're looking for ways to help, below are some ideas. I encourage you to get your kids involved, teach them about Veterans Day, and how to help honor a veteran.
- Make a donation to Paralyzed Veterans of America
- Send a care package to a soldier through Operation Gratitude
- Help support our troops through Soldier's Angels
- Find more resources at Kids Thank A Vet
To all Veterans:
Happy Veteran's Day! Thank you for your service and your sacrifice!
This post is in partnership with Paralyzed Veterans of America. I was not compensated for writing this post.