Happy Veteran’s Day
For a brief time, which lasted about 17 years, I was in a hurry. My active duty husband was always on the heels of a deployment or trip or an extended trip or a training or new orders that would mean lots of hours or tons of travel or something and it was always something. (I hear you saying Amen.)
My life was defined by these catch phrases-
…hurry up we need to get this in before you deploy.
…hurry up we need to get this in before we move.
…hurry up we need to do this before you leave.
Time crawls for those who are missing someone. I know firsthand. And yet, how is it when the clock is counting down for the next departure–time speeds up and moments move at lightening speed?
On our 10 year anniversary of being a couple I did the math and realized that in over 10 years—10 consecutive months was the longest we had ever been together, the rest of it was long distance.
And all of that is normal for a military family.
It’s been 20ish years now and we’ve slowed down. We still have our “hurry ups”…you just never know with the military…but for the most part my life isn’t defined by it now. My kids have stopped using Daddy’s deployments as markers of time when describing their past and Disney World isn’t associated anymore with farewells and welcome homes.
After all we’ve been through as a military family I am forever grateful for my husband’s presence. It is a present. A gift. I do not take it lightly. I do not take it for granted. I cherish even the snoring that comes with it.
And I want to say Thank You to him and to all our Veterans today.
Freedom is not free, Thank You to my husband, and all our military past, present, and future for paying the price.
