Being an Army wife was both hard, at times, but also so rewarding. There were so many hard days that I wasn't sure how I would get through, especially during deployment. But, with the help of my friends, who I now consider family, we were able to get through the hard times together. When I first moved to Texas, we were stationed in El Paso, Texas, at Fort Bliss, I wasn't sure what to expect. I watched the show Army Wives and I figured it would be all so much fun. But I was so wrong.
Of course, there were fun times, but it was nothing like what I had seen on TV. My husband was "on call" 24/7 and he was gone more than he was home. He would go train for weeks at a time, and I was left to take care of the home while he was gone. But I learned so much about myself during that time. I was a lot stronger than I had ever imagined, or given myself credit for. I learned to paint walls, put furniture together, cut the grass (EEK!!), and even be both mom and dad (I was a first-time mom). My family was 1500 miles away and I had to do so much on my own, but thankfully I had my friends (now family) to help get through those times.
My husband was deployed to Iraq for nearly a year, and he came home a different person. He's had a hard time since then, just dealing with everyday struggles, on top of the nightmares and memories of those days he was at war. He's lost about 34 soldiers from his old unit since he has been home, and it's been hard on him and the rest of the guys. I've seen him struggle and most people think because he's made it home from war, that he's okay. "Just be thankful that he made it home because some didn't." But that's the farthest from the truth. For so many, returning back to "normal life" after war is a whole other battle that many can't even begin to understand.
Life as an Army wife was nothing that I had ever expected but was definitely an experience I will never forget. I made so many friends along the way and I learned a lot about myself that I may not have learned otherwise. So I am grateful for that period of my life, but I only wish I could help my husband, and the rest of the Veterans return to "normal".
God Bless our Troops!
