I am not a soldier but I belong to a special group of women who are military wives. We are a group with a high entrance price, it's our spouse. We give them up for trainings, deployments, and even in the ultimate moment of sacrifice. We are the group who hold down the home front while they're away. We are the group that makes their careers in the military possible. We are their better halves. We are their reason to make it home safe. It's an exclusive group that I've only begun to pay my dues for.
As a civilian Memorial Day never meant a great deal to me. I confess I often go it mixed up with other spring dates. It wasn't anything special until my husband joined the Army. Then the day became something special, something different to me. It became more than a nice spring day to grill out on or a long weekend to relax with. It's different because one day it could be my husband who is being honored on this day. Whether it's in a year or twenty it could be him one day. One day it could be his service that we honor. He could be among the fallen, I hope he never has to make that ultimate sacrifice but I firmly believe he would if it came down to it.
I've been blessed to not go through a deployment yet. However I've faced the separation that accompanies training where the Army took my husband and made him a soldier. Memorial Day makes me grateful for every moment with him that I get to spend. I take every minute I can and greedily hoard them because I know the days are coming where I won't wake up to him beside me. He will be a half a world away fighting to keep our country safe. Memorial Day reminds me that in a moment this life with him could be gone.
Memorial Day to me is something truly special now because when I think of it I think of the families left behind. I think of the wives in this club who have lost their spouses, children or other family members. I think of the empty seat at so many tables. It is in that moment that I am grateful for the Gospel of Jesus Christ which assures me that I will see my loved ones again. It helps me to be a soldier's wife because I know no matter what happens I will see my husband again. We might struggle through a long distance relationship but he will always be my husband.
I will be forever grateful for the sacrifice of the men and women who have come before my husband. I also will be forever grateful for the wives and husbands who have supported their spouses through this life. I'm grateful to the families who this weekend will have an empty seat. I also want them to know that one day that seat will be filled again. It's the most important message of this weekend of honoring the fallen and those who have paid the ultimate price.
