“Thank you for your service,” is a phrase that most are familiar with. Some are accustomed to saying it with sincerity. Service members are familiar with receiving it and giving a kind acknowledgment. While military spouses are used to watching with pride as they witness their beloved service member be shown gratitude, but what about them?
Military spouses are often said to “live in the shadows.” Although not in uniform, spouses have an essential role to play and are the backbone of the military community. The life of a military spouse can be complicated, difficult, lonely, and high stress. It can be hard to see past the flashy military commercials and advertisements to understand what really goes on behind the scenes in a military family. While most military spouses brush it off as everyday life, it Is important to recognize all they endure and sacrifice to support their service members and the military as a whole. May 6th is all about thanking that spouse who manages the wild ride of what is military life.
To any military spouse, TELL wants to say…
Thank you for the endless amount of effort you put into taking care of the household while your service member is deployed. Thank you for making sacrifices and putting your goals on hold, even though it can be heartbreaking. Thank you for being an incredible problem-solver even in the face of an impossible problem. Thank you for always being flexible when things inevitably do not go according to plan. Thank you for being so strong and supportive even when things are out of your control. We want you to know that we see you, and we thank you for all that you do.
This article is by TELL clinician Kelly Edens.