military spouse appreciation day

I don’t often write about being a military wife–at least not on this blog…

When I started Bunny & Dolly, I didn’t want to pigeon-hole myself into such a specific niche: “milspouse mommy blog.” I didn’t want every post to have to tie into being a military wife, and I didn’t feel comfortable revealing all the times that I am alone.

But perhaps the main reason I didn’t want to blog about being a milspouse is because I’m hardly the poster child for this lifestyle. The truth is that I hate being a military wife. I hate not having any control over where my family lives. I hate being separated from my husband for months at a time. (FYI, deployments don’t get easier the more times you experience them. Just the opposite, actually.)

I grew up on the East Coast having never known anybody in the military until I met my husband when I was 26. I never fantasized about living a nomadic life with a military man; I especially never imagined I’d get married and have my first baby while living in Omaha, Nebraska. I know that admitting I’m a reluctant military wife may not win me many fans. I recently got slammed on Facebook for one of my Lifetime Moms posts about hating my military life. What those nasty commenters failed to realized (or perhaps I failed to explain clearly) is that I admire and appreciate my husband’s commitment to keeping our country safe. He was already in the military when I met him, yet I chose to begin a relationship with him anyway. I was willing to suffer through a few rough years of being apart because I knew that this would not be our forever way of life.

Recently my husband asked me if I’d be interested in moving to England. My initial reaction was “hell no!” Relocating would add a couple more years to his commitment, and I’m not okay with that. Plus, living in Omaha already feels too far from my family back east. I can’t even imagine how isolated I’d feel being across the Atlantic Ocean from them and all of my friends. And what if I want to have another baby in a year or two? Would my baby be born in Britain?

But then I started thinking about all of the opportunities that could come with living in England–quick trips to other European cities and experiencing a new culture. Maybe I was overlooking the positives of moving overseas, although I’m still not convinced we should move. Would you do it?

On this Military Spouse Appreciation Day, I want to send love to my fellow military wives (and husbands!), most of whom are stronger and braver than I am. I’m also wondering if you’d like me to blog more frequently about my life as a milspouse or if you like Bunny & Dolly’s focus to be remain more broad. Please share your thoughts in the comment section below.

 

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