A Brief Exchange; A Deep Connection

Today, my sons and I went to the airport. My oldest was flying out to visit with family for a month. As we parked in the airport parking lot, we all noticed a soldier and his family. My sons were captivated.

“Look a soldier!” my 8 year old shouted.

“He looks like Dad!” my 10 year old added.

“Daddy!” my 2 year old cried.

“I bet he is on leave,” my 16 year old said.

We’re stationed at Fort Stewart. We see soldiers in and around post almost daily. Still, though, it is never “old hat” to my boys.

Whenever we’re out, they always notice soldiers and seem to gravitate toward them. Not surprisingly, I’ve noticed this even more since my husband’s been in Iraq. Truthfully, I notice more, too. Just like today, I noticed the soldier placing his bags in the back of his POV.

My attention, though, was drawn to his wife. As he was busy loading up his bags , she was standing by the truck looking up at the sky. (I know this trick—it keeps the tears from falling.) I walked over and asked her if he was on leave.

She said yes and started to cry and laugh at the same time. I told her my husband’s R&R is next month. We hugged. I wiped her tears. I wished both of them a wonderful time together. Then they went their way, and we went ours.

My son asked if I knew her or if she was a friend of mine. I told him that, although I had never met her before, I knew her.

She was now not only a friend of mine but a sister.

In our brief exchange we shared joy, relief, and hope. That’s what is so wonderful about being with someone who is walking in your shoes—you understand each other. You get it.

It reminded me of what we have here at Army Wife Network, and it made me proud to be a part of this organization.

Some of us have service members deployed. Some service members are stateside or even retired. Some of you are the parents of service members. The common thread among each and every one of us is that we love our service member.

That love for our service member defines us.

That is why we move (a lot). It’s also why we pray, hope, cry, wait, and stand tall. I may be a lot of things, but above all I am a military spouse. I am his soft place to land when he needs to rest from his realities. I am his love, his strength, his reason, just as he is mine. I know that you understand me.

And I get it. I get you. We get each other. Although all of us are or will be going down some rough roads, the ride is a little less scary when you have friends.