Recipe for a Military Spouse
1 1/2 cups Patience
1 cup Courage
3/4 cup Tolerance
dash of Adventure
1 pound of Ability
To the above ingredients: Add 2 tablespoons elbow grease and let stand alone for one year. Marinate frequently with salty tears. Pour off excess fat and sprinkle ever so lightly with money then Knead dough until payday. Season with international spices. Bake 20 years or until done. Makes unlimited servings
SERVE WITH PRIDE
The Silent Ranks
I wear no uniforms, no blues or greens.
But, I am in the military, in the ranks rarely seen.
I have no rank upon my shoulders. Salutes I do not give.
But in the military world is where I live and am rarely seen.
I am not in the chain of command, orders I do not give or get.
But my husband is the one who does, this I can not forget.
I am not the one who fires a weapon, Who puts his life on the line.
But my job is just as tough, I’m the one who is always left behind.
My husband is a patriot, a brave and pride filled man.
And the call to serve his country not all can understand.
Behind the lines, I see things needed to keep this country free.
My husband makes the sacrifice, but so do my kids and me.
I love the man I married. The military is his life.
So I pledge to support my hero and stand among the silent ranks known as
THE MILITARY WIFE.
I wear no uniforms, no blues or greens.
But, I am in the military, in the ranks rarely seen.
I have no rank upon my shoulders. Salutes I do not give.
But in the military world is where I live and am rarely seen.
I am not in the chain of command, orders I do not give or get.
But my husband is the one who does, this I can not forget.
I am not the one who fires a weapon, Who puts his life on the line.
But my job is just as tough, I’m the one who is always left behind.
My husband is a patriot, a brave and pride filled man.
And the call to serve his country not all can understand.
Behind the lines, I see things needed to keep this country free.
My husband makes the sacrifice, but so do my kids and me.
I love the man I married. The military is his life.
So I pledge to support my hero and stand among the silent ranks known as
THE MILITARY WIFE.
The Navy Wife
A Navy Wife is no ordinary woman. Operating for months at a time without the companionship or assistance of her husband, she routinely overcomes challenges that would give the average person a nervous breakdown.
Part Doctor, part Teacher and part Handyman, she can lavish loving care on a sick toddler, help a teenager with his Algebra homework, and track down a faulty circuit breaker - all while holding down a full time job.
With thirty minutes notice, she can serve breakfast, lunch, or dinner to fourteen hungry Sailors, and still somehow balance her family’s meager grocery budget.
She can press a set of dress whites to inspection standards, tie a perfect square knot in a military neckerchief, and pack a seabag in the cold hours before dawn.
For months at a time, she must settle for letters instead of kisses, emails in place of hugs, and long-distance phone calls in lieu of her husband’s touch.
She manages a smile when her Sailor is at sea for the second Anniversary in a row, and accepts the fact that there’s a one-in-three chance that he will have to stand Duty on her Birthday. She has learned to stand on a pier and wave goodbye without tears, even when her heart is breaking.
To her children, she is Chauffeur, Umpire, Psychologist, Spiritual Advisor, Financial Consultant, part-time Father, Tooth Fairy, Santa Clause, and the Easter Bunny. To her husband, she is Friend, Lover, Partner, Confidant, and Soul-Mate.
She is a patriot. She is the sort of citizen that all of us should be, but so few of us are. She lives with sacrifice, because she believes in the rights and ideals that her husband defends. Although she wears no uniform, she is a part of that defense - a vital link in the chain of Freedom. Although she wears no medals and will reap no glory on the field of battle, she is a hero in the truest sense of the word. She is a Navy Wife.
Navy Wife
The Lord was creating a model for military wives and was into His sixth day of overtime when an angel appeared. The angel said, "Lord, you seem to be having a lot of trouble with this one, what's wrong with the standard model? The Lord replied, "Have you seen the specs on this order? This isn't a regular military wife I have been tasked to make. This order is for a Navy wife. She is going to have to be some kind of phenomenal creation."
"She has to be completely independent... possess the qualities of both father and mother... be a perfect hostess to four or forty four at a moments notice. Run on black coffee... handle every emergency imaginable without a manual. Be able to carry on cheerfully whether pregnant or down with the flu... and be willing to move to a new location ten times in a twenty year career... and, she must have six pair of hands."
The angel shook her head and exclaimed, "Six pair of hands? Impossible."
The Lord continued, by saying, "Don't worry! I will give her an unusually large heart... that can swell with pride brought through her husband's achievements, capable of saying "I understand" when it really doesn't, and "I love you" in the bleakest of circumstances. It has to be an unusually strong heart also, to sustain the pain of separations and to beat soundly when it is overworked and tired."
"Lord," said the angel, touching His arm gently, "Go to bed and get some rest, you can finish this project another day."
"I can't stop now," said the Lord. "I am so close to the finished product. Already this model heals herself when she is sick, can play gracious hostess to as many as six unexpected weekend guests, and wave good-bye to her husband from the pier, airport or depot, without totally understanding why it is that he must go."
The angel circled the model of the Navy Wife, looked at her closely and sighed, "It looks fine, but it's too soft."
"She might look soft," replied the Lord, "but she has the strength of a lion. You would not believe what she can endure." Finally the angel bent over and ran her finger across the cheek of the Lord's creation and announced, "There's a leak. Something is wrong with this model. It is not surprising that it has cracked. You are trying to put too much into this."
The Lord appeared offended at the angel's lack of confidence. "What you see is not a leak... it's called a tear."
"A tear? What is it there for?" asked the angel.
The Lord replied, "It's for joy, sadness, pain, disappointment, loneliness, pride and dedication to all the values that she and her husband hold dear."
"You are a genius!" exclaimed the angel.
The Lord looked puzzled and replied, "I didn't put that tear there."
A Navy Wife is no ordinary woman. Operating for months at a time without the companionship or assistance of her husband, she routinely overcomes challenges that would give the average person a nervous breakdown.
Part Doctor, part Teacher and part Handyman, she can lavish loving care on a sick toddler, help a teenager with his Algebra homework, and track down a faulty circuit breaker - all while holding down a full time job.
With thirty minutes notice, she can serve breakfast, lunch, or dinner to fourteen hungry Sailors, and still somehow balance her family’s meager grocery budget.
She can press a set of dress whites to inspection standards, tie a perfect square knot in a military neckerchief, and pack a seabag in the cold hours before dawn.
For months at a time, she must settle for letters instead of kisses, emails in place of hugs, and long-distance phone calls in lieu of her husband’s touch.
She manages a smile when her Sailor is at sea for the second Anniversary in a row, and accepts the fact that there’s a one-in-three chance that he will have to stand Duty on her Birthday. She has learned to stand on a pier and wave goodbye without tears, even when her heart is breaking.
To her children, she is Chauffeur, Umpire, Psychologist, Spiritual Advisor, Financial Consultant, part-time Father, Tooth Fairy, Santa Clause, and the Easter Bunny. To her husband, she is Friend, Lover, Partner, Confidant, and Soul-Mate.
She is a patriot. She is the sort of citizen that all of us should be, but so few of us are. She lives with sacrifice, because she believes in the rights and ideals that her husband defends. Although she wears no uniform, she is a part of that defense - a vital link in the chain of Freedom. Although she wears no medals and will reap no glory on the field of battle, she is a hero in the truest sense of the word. She is a Navy Wife.
Navy Wife
The Lord was creating a model for military wives and was into His sixth day of overtime when an angel appeared. The angel said, "Lord, you seem to be having a lot of trouble with this one, what's wrong with the standard model? The Lord replied, "Have you seen the specs on this order? This isn't a regular military wife I have been tasked to make. This order is for a Navy wife. She is going to have to be some kind of phenomenal creation."
"She has to be completely independent... possess the qualities of both father and mother... be a perfect hostess to four or forty four at a moments notice. Run on black coffee... handle every emergency imaginable without a manual. Be able to carry on cheerfully whether pregnant or down with the flu... and be willing to move to a new location ten times in a twenty year career... and, she must have six pair of hands."
The angel shook her head and exclaimed, "Six pair of hands? Impossible."
The Lord continued, by saying, "Don't worry! I will give her an unusually large heart... that can swell with pride brought through her husband's achievements, capable of saying "I understand" when it really doesn't, and "I love you" in the bleakest of circumstances. It has to be an unusually strong heart also, to sustain the pain of separations and to beat soundly when it is overworked and tired."
"Lord," said the angel, touching His arm gently, "Go to bed and get some rest, you can finish this project another day."
"I can't stop now," said the Lord. "I am so close to the finished product. Already this model heals herself when she is sick, can play gracious hostess to as many as six unexpected weekend guests, and wave good-bye to her husband from the pier, airport or depot, without totally understanding why it is that he must go."
The angel circled the model of the Navy Wife, looked at her closely and sighed, "It looks fine, but it's too soft."
"She might look soft," replied the Lord, "but she has the strength of a lion. You would not believe what she can endure." Finally the angel bent over and ran her finger across the cheek of the Lord's creation and announced, "There's a leak. Something is wrong with this model. It is not surprising that it has cracked. You are trying to put too much into this."
The Lord appeared offended at the angel's lack of confidence. "What you see is not a leak... it's called a tear."
"A tear? What is it there for?" asked the angel.
The Lord replied, "It's for joy, sadness, pain, disappointment, loneliness, pride and dedication to all the values that she and her husband hold dear."
"You are a genius!" exclaimed the angel.
The Lord looked puzzled and replied, "I didn't put that tear there."
