Sunday, July 10, 2011

If you really wanna know...

The Silent Ranks
I wear no uniforms, no blues or army 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 the military world is the place where I live.

I'm not in the chain of command, orders I do not get.
But my husband is the one who does, this I cannot forget.
I'm not the one who fires the weapon, who puts my life on the line.
But my job is just as tough. I'm the one that's left behind.

My husband is a patriot, a brave and prideful man,
And the call to serve his country, not all can understand.
Behind the lines I see the things needed to keep this country free.
My husband makes the sacrifice, but so do our kids and me.

I love the man I married. Patriotism is his life.
I proudly stand among the silent ranks known as the military wife.


Warrior

I never wore the uniform,
no medals on my chest.
The band it doesn't play for me,
I am not among the Best.
I do not march in cadence,
I do not rate salute,
I stand among the silent ranks,
our devotion absolute.

If you've not worn my shoes,
you do not know my story.
I live a life of sacrifice,
my reward a private glory.
I've wept many silent nights away,
and I've kept the home fires burning.
I've worried and I've waited,
as world events were churning.

I've moved more times than you could fathom,
left more people than you've known.
I've planted gardens 'round the world --
Very few that I've seen grown.
I've grieved with new-made widows,
and had my share of scares --
when a ship or plane or man was down,
and all I had were prayers.

I'm not asking for your sympathy,
(although appreciation can be nice)
I did it quite on purpose though --
I chose to sacrifice.
I'll tell you a secret now,
one you'd never guess.
About the one glory that is mine,
it's just enough, no more, no less.

When you and I stand together
as our national anthem plays,
I'll fill with reminiscences
of how I spent those days.
I'll know the pain and joys again,
I'll know that freedom isn't free,
I'll know I've helped to pay the price

and that the anthem plays for me.

Elizabeth Soutter Schwarzer





"Distance is not for the fearful, It is for the Bold. It is for those who are willing to spend a lot of time alone in exchange for a little time with the one they love. It is for those knowing a good thing when they see it, even if they dont see it nearly enough.." -Unknown




When you feel alone, just look at the spaces between your fingers, remember that in those spaces you can see my fingers locked with yours forever!



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 Military Spouse

When the good Lord was creating military spouses, He was into His sixth day of overtime.
An Angel appeared and said, "You're having a lot of trouble on this one. What's wrong with the standard model?"
The Lord replied, "Have you ever seen the regulations? It has to be completely independent, must be sponsored to get on base, have the qualities of both mother and father during deployments; Be a perfect hostess to four or 40, handle emergencies without military orders, cope with the flu and move around the world, have a kiss that cures anything from a child's torn valentine to a soldier's weary day, have the patience of a saint when waiting for the unit to return stateside, and have six pairs of soft hands."
The Angel shook her head slowly and said, "Six pair of hands? No way!"
And the Lord answered, "Don't worry. We'll make other military spouses to help. Besides, it's not the hands that are causing the problem - it's the heart. It must swell with pride, sustain the ache of separation, beat soundly when it's too tired to do so, be large enough to say 'I understand' when it doesn't, and say 'I love you,' regardless."
"Lord," said the Angel, touching his sleeve gently, "go to bed. You can finish that tomorrow."
"I can't," said the Lord. "I'm too close to creating something unique. Already I have one who can heal itself when sick, feed unexpected guests who are stuck in the area due to bad weather, and wave goodbye to its spouse from a pier or runway and understand it's important to the country that the spouse leave."
The Angel circled the model of the military spouse very slowly. "It's too soft," she sighed.
"But tough," the Lord said excitedly. "You cannot imagine what this being can do or endure!"
"Can it think?" the Angel asked.
"Can it think? It can convert 1400 to 2 p.m.!" the Lord said.
Finally, the Angel bent over and ran her finger across the cheek. "There's a leak," she pronounced. "I told you that you were trying to put too much into this model."
"It's not a leak," said the Lord. "It's a tear."
"What's it for?" asked the Angel.
"It's for joy, sadness, pain, loneliness and pride," the Lord said.
"You're a genius," said the Angel.
The Lord looked somber and said, "I didn't put it there."
~Author Unknown






Aaaand rounding out the end with my current favorite:


The Military Spouse: Sexually deprived for your freedom!

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