Turns out, there are a whole lot of spouses who are also feeling weary. Some have been married to their service member for 25 years, some only a few, and everything in between. Some are prior active duty themselves. Some are weary because of multiple deployments, training schedules, frequent moves, or changes in their partners they were not prepared for. The response was overwhelming.
Recently the piece was run again, and I spent hours reading the comments. So many people thanked me for being brave enough to share my thoughts because they were feeling the exact same way.
Reading those comments made me hang my head. Is there a place, in our current sometimes really judgmental internet world, for anonymous writing? Oh, absolutely. I still write anonymously on occasion. But when it comes to a topic where so many spouses expressed their thanks for finally talking about something so many have been feeling… it made me realize the biggest reason I was weary:
Not feeling like I could admit as much.
We should be able to talk about this. We should be able to share our weariness. We should be able to admit we don’t always have it together. And we shouldn’t be worried or ashamed.
Since writing this piece I can honestly say that I am still weary. That hasn’t changed. However, sharing the weariness, and learning that I am not alone… has helped me realize that perhaps it is normal. It helps me to know that the weariness is not from weakness, but is simply a part of this life. A life that, despite how I feel about it after 16 years, is something I believe in with my whole heart. There are many things in life that are hard, but absolutely worth it. Military life is on that list for me.
Thank you to all the folks who took the time to join in on the discussion. Thank you to all the spouses who continue to support their service members, despite the difficulties and challenges. Thank you for letting me know that I am not alone.
Thank you, weary military spouse. I do hope we can continue the conversation.
Read the original article here: “Weary Military Spouse Confessions”
