An open letter to the Mom of a Military Spouse,
Aka my mom. And the moms out there who’ve earned it.
You don’t have your own day, but this year I’m happily sharing my sliver of Military Spouse Appreciation Day with you.
This is a role you didn’t seek out and no one can even try to say “you knew what you signed up for,” because you didn’t. We call that voluntold, in our world.
Your Christmases look different than you would like but you bring the magic in your checked baggage anyway (Southwest willing).
Your flexibility is where you shine, you understand it’s always dynamic. It’s Newport, it’s Tampa, it’s Monterey… actually, Aloha! Or “We’ll see you when we see you and celebrate then.”
You’ve become intimately familiar with airports you may otherwise have never visited while racking up miles and miles.
You do your best to learn acronyms, names, and places previously unknown. Just to follow along with long stories and vent sessions as I drive from A to B.
You read the news differently, like I do. You’ve connected the dots. That one breaking headline can mean for me a night of parenting solo or three months.
You’ve helped my new houses feel like homes. We change out light fixtures and install new appliances. We plant flowers and reorganize drawers. You may know the house better than he, sometimes.
You visit when he’s away and we co-parent together. I cook dinner, you mow the lawn. I do bedtime while you clean the dishes. You take the newborn at 2 am. I’ve got the toddler at 5. And we cry and cry when you have to leave.
The DoD has no idea who you are but you support those who serve better than most who sport a flag pin on their lapel. With your time, your money, your patience. Your love.
Happy Mom of a Military Spouse Appreciation Day to you!
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A special thank you to our guest contributor, Kathryn for this heartfelt acknowledgment of the Moms of Military Spouses. Interested in becoming a guest contributor for Military Mom Collective? Contact us.
