I’ve been around a while. As a military spouse, I mean. It’ll be 17 years in a mere eight days from now. When I was first a military spouse, things were so different. We were not at war for 11 straight years, deployments did not involve 15 months with little respite and rarely involved TBI.
There were few programs or resources, and only a couple of books written by spouses.
This very brand, Military Spouse, was founded primarily in response to the vast need FOR those resources and programs.
Fast forward nearly two decades…and, good gracious! Can you believe it? We—military spouses—have a choir. A HUGE, amazing, talented, dedicated, unbelieviabley great CHOIR of our very own.
And, they were on America’s Got Talent. I say on but what I really mean they closed the show DOWN! Had the entire audience chanting, “USA! USA! USA!” while the cameras panned to their beautiful faces weeping in the glow of a red, white and blue lighted stage. They were in what amounted to traditional choir robes. But did you notice??? They were PURPLE. Purple is our joint service color. JOINT.
They each wore a signature sash denoting their service. And, yet, in that perfect, ethereal moment, they were one.
One amazing voice of complete and total unity.
I’ve watched our community grow. 17 years long…I’ve watched amazing things happen over time as a growing, uninformed nation learned about us and began to establish interest in our lives and life matters.
But this. This was pure, unadulterated magic. The kind of magic that only happens when the stars (all 37 of those beautiful military spouses) align, the Gods bless it, and something beautiful emerges.
I read update after update of so many military spouses posting they were in tears. Tears of gratitude. Tears of love. Tears of a weary community. Tears of admiration. Tears of awe.
I say? It was the day the Heavens wept. In heaving, heart-wrenching gulps of air because it was THE moment. In THAT moment America saw it all…some of the best of us. They felt that special feeling deep in the recesses of our hearts that make us unique to the rest of the world. That little tingle that only we get when the National Anthem plays or we hear “God Bless the USA.” We gave a bit of that special-ness to each American.
So, thank you to CAMMO, and the ladies in the choir. You. Were. Amazing. And, as a veteran spouse of almost two decades, I could not be prouder of where you’ve taken us. All of us.
Because each of us shared in your journey.