The strangest thing has begun to happen. Random people have been coming up to me lately telling how much they enjoy the blog. I mean, like a really random selection of people. I’m used to my army wife sisters reading, and my family and stuff, but these are people from all aspects of our life that I’m discovering are reading the blog. I recently had a spouse of a friend tell me how much he enjoyed the blog and I was totally caught off guard. I didn’t know any men read it except my dear, sweet hubby. And K, if you're reading this, you totally made my day yesterday when I found out you've been reading too. You guys keep me going.
But it’s not just the blog compliments, although they do add a little spring to my step. It’s my army wife sisters that always know exactly when I need a boost. I am constantly surprised at what an amazing group of women they truly are. There is nothing you can throw their way that surprises them, trips them up or slows them down. And it’s funny, because when I think about this group of women who I so dearly depend on, I rarely count myself as one of them. But I’m just amazed by what so many of them do on a daily basis. One of my friends has been a at home with two girls under three for months now, while hubby is TDY, and yet she makes it look effortless. And while I’m freaking out about the fact that hubby will be deploying just weeks after the arrival of baby #2, she's cheering me on, telling me it’s all gonna be ok. And wife, after wife, after wife has come to my rescue. When I was on bed rest, my email was flooded with friends offering to watch Abby, do my grocery shopping, or come keep me company. These are wives who have their own children, some of them have deployed husbands, and they certainly all have their own busy schedules to juggle. But there they were.
I remember when hubby was deployed the last time, going to the hospital over and over, to see yet another new baby born into our company. I remember thinking to myself that these were the most amazing women I have ever known. I know they must have all been terrified in their own way, but I never saw one of them break. I still don’t know how they managed; I just know that they are my heroes. And I will admit, part of me felt a little irresponsible when I found out that we were expecting again. Granted, we were as surprised as everyone else, but our timing was certainly not the best. Hubby and I had painstakingly planned the first five years of our military life and this was not part of the plan. In those first few days, I felt almost apologetic as we told people that we were going to have another little one. I think I half expected someone to scold me or tell me how poor our timing was. But instead, I was greeted with over-joyed hugs and congratulations and offers to help with whatever needs to be done. Not one wife pointed out that my due date was eerily close to the deployment date. Not one wife pointed out how hard it was going to be with two children under two and a half. And when one wife sensed that I was more than a little nervous, she gave me a big hug, told me I could do it, and reassured me that she would be here all deployment when I ever needed help. And I don’t even know her all that well.
And just last month, when my grandmother passed away, within hours, there was a beautiful arrangement waiting at the funeral home, sent by our army friends. They had never met my grandmother, or my family for that matter. It made me cry. You guys keep me going. I just want you to know that. Each one of you, in your own way, while you're going about your everyday life, you are doing something incredible. And knowing that you're here, in the good and the bad, keeps me going.
