Dear Military wife, April 22, 2009 @ 4:54 pm

I am an American woman that has no idea what is going on in the
military other than what I hear on the news.

I have never had to let go of someone so that they could go fight for
people that they didn't know, people that sometimes do not appreciate
or understand what they are fighting for.

I have never had a sleepless night of worry because of a report that
another bomb has exploded and I still haven't heard from my husband.

I have never had to wait for months on end to hold the one that I loved
so.

I have never had to tell my children that daddy wasn't coming home
tonight because he was so far away fighting for something that they
aren't yet old enough to understand.

I have never had to hold my head high and suppress the tears as I hear
that it will be at least another six months of separation before my
loved one gets to come home.

I have never had to deal with a holiday away from the one that I
thought I would share every day of my life with.

And I have never had to feel the panic rising in my heart at the sound
of a ringing phone or knock at the door for fear that it is the news
that everyone is terrified of getting.

For the reasons listed above, I can not tell you that I understand how
you feel.

I can not tell you that you must be strong.

I can not say that you shouldn't be angry, because you "knew what you
were getting into when you married a military man."
I can not say these things because I have never had to walk in your
shoes.

What I can say for certain is that because of your unselfish acts of
bravery and your husbands willingness to stand up for those who see him
as "just another soldier" - -

I will never have to walk in your shoes.

I do understand that as a military wife you are expected to uphold a
certain amount of control, but I never understood how you could do it,
until now.

I have figured out that you are not like other women.

You are of a special breed.

You have a strength within you that holds life together in the darkest
of hours, a strength of which I will never possess.

The faith you have is what makes you stand out in a crowd; it makes you
glow with emotion and swell with pride at the mention of The United
States of America.

You are a special lady, a wonderful partner and a glorious American.

I have more respect for your husband than I could ever tell you, but
until recently I never thought much about those that the soldier leaves
at home during deployment.

Until this moment I could never put into words exactly what America
meant to me.

Until this moment, I had no real reason to.... Until I heard of you.

Your husband and his military family hold this nation close, safe from
those who wish to hurt us...but you and those like you are the backbone
of the American family.

You keep the wheels in motion and the hearts alive while most would
just break completely down.

Military families make this nation what it is today.

You give us all hope and you emit a warming light at the end of a long
dark tunnel.

Because of you and your family...I am able to be me.

I am able to have my family.

I am able to walk free in this great land.

Because of you and your family, I can look ahead to the future with the
knowledge that life is going to be okay.

Because of you and your family, I can awake to a new day, everyday.

I realize that you are a stronger person than I will ever be because of
these things and I just wanted to take the time today to say thank you
to you and your family for allowing me that freedom.

I will never be able to repay this debt to you, as it is unmatchable.

However, I hope that you know that no matter where you are...

what you are doing...

what has happened today...

or what will happen tomorrow...

Your husband will NEVER be "just another soldier" to me....

And you, dear sweet lady, will never be forgotten.

You are all in my prayer's everyday and I pray that God will bring you
back together with your loved one safely.