(photo credits: photo pin)
I just finished watching the ceremony at Andrews where the bodies of four Americans, Old Glory now draped over their caskets, were returned home to our soil. I listened as our President spoke, I heard the National Anthem play, and saw the Marines salute and then return the patriots back to the hearses that would transport them to a final resting place. I thought back to all of the events that have been in the forefront of the news for the past week.
And I wept.
It was cathartic.
Because as an American and a military spouse, this has been a hard week. Honestly, I dreaded turning on the computer and the news every morning. There were many times when I wanted to go on a news strike (and for several hours, I did)… but there are some things that are too important to simply ignore. And this week, I chose not to bury my head in the sand.
So seeing that ceremony just hit me like a ton of bricks… a somber ending to a week that I hope will see some relief by the time we all clock in for another Monday morning.
I wept for those four Americans.
I wept for the thousands of Americans who have died over the past decade.
I wept that because there are thousands of them, they are not all honored with news coverage in that way.
I wept for the thousands of families who have lost someone.
I wept for the good people of those Middle Eastern countries who do not want this kind of violence.
I wept for our country as a whole.
And I wept for the community I hold so dear, the military community.
What I am about to say is completely a personal statement, based on my experience as a military spouse. I am going on record, raising my hand to say, “I love being a military spouse because I love my husband and support him 100%… but I am growing increasingly weary by the minute”. And the events of this week underscored that sentiment for me.
Weary every time I see the casualty numbers rise.
Weary every time I see another friend struggling through yet another deployment.
Weary when I hear of another servicemember who committed suicide.
Weary when I hear another child cry for their Mom or Dad who may or may not be coming home.
Weary when I see more violence in the Middle East.
Weary of the feeling that this will never end.
I have no concrete answers or solutions about this war or for preventing future conflicts. Frankly, right now that is entirely too political for my brain, and I am turning off all politics for the weekend because even though I know it is important… everyone needs a mental health break.
The cry did wonders for me, and I highly recommend it to anyone who might be feeling the same way. Because no matter how weary I am as a spouse, I know that the families who are mourning the loss of a loved one, or the servicemembers who are struggling to walk again, or the Mom down the street going through her 5th deployment… are also weary. I am 100% validated in feeling the way I do, and someone else’s struggle should never be held up as a reason to minimize my own… but I also try to remember that there are lots of folks feeling this burden. We should all sob and reach out for help when we need to… if for no other reason than freeing ourselves up to support or lend a hand to someone who isn’t coping as well.
It is my sincere hope that no matter how the events of this week have impacted you , you are able to take a step away from them and enjoy the freedoms and beauty that our country holds over the weekend. I know that I am certainly going to turn off the computer, the news and the radio and do the same. If something of pressing importance that concerns our military community comes up, rest assured we will make sure to pass that information along.
In the meantime, it may be time for some fun Military Spouse Talk topics for the weekend… I am open to suggestions from our incredible community.
Thank you for letting me share with you today.