No matter how much I complain about the things I cannot stand about the military (lack of communication is absolutely numero uno on the list, by the way) I’m actually learning to like it more and more almost daily. One of the biggest reasons I am moving to Clarksville and away from the comfort and company of Madison and my parents is that I desperately need to be in an environment that can EMPATHIZE with me/those who are without their spouses because they’ve “been there”… one, two, three, or more times. I cannot begin to explain the comfort and peace it brings to hear advice and encouragement from those who are currently in my situation or have been there.
I grew to like being an Army wife immensely more after attending Birmingham’s annual West Point Founder’s Day banquet a couple weekends back.
Anyway, I threw on a one-shoulder WHBM black dress and headed to Birmingham with my handsome hubby. We spent the cocktail hour meeting and chatting with grads and their wives, many of whom were 70+ years old and had some of the greatest Army stories to tell. Jamie was given the honor to be one of three speakers since he was the youngest grad in attendance, and he did a mighty fine job, but I might be bias.
 |
 |
| That’s mah boy! |
 |
| Just for the record, we didn’t ask for this picture to be taken. The officer sitting next to me who had had just a tad too much wine literally yanked my camera from my hand and was pointing it at us saying ‘CHEESE’ faster than I knew what was going on. I think it turned out a-okay. |
 |
| Never, never, never, (and I mean never) get tired of seeing DeSpain attached to my name! |
The oldest grad was from the class of ’49… do the math! He was a pretty old guy with an incredibly witty sense of humor and even bigger heart for the military. I can’t even wrap my brain around how much he has seen this country change.
At one point during dinner, I looked around the room at 60+ current/former Army wives and realized that they have run their course with the Army, whether their husbands served the minimum five years or 30 years. I felt a sort of peace and relief as I realized that I will, believe it or not, survive Jamie’s deployment, as dramatic as that sounds. They’ve all been there, done that, and most are enjoying post-Army married life.
I am trying my absolute BEST to live in the moment and not wish for the future. Why is it that we’re never satisfied with the stage of life we’re in? We’re (or maybe it’s just me!) always wanting/thinking about what the future holds and how it will be better than our current situation. That song “You’re Gonna Miss This” is exactly what I’m talking about! My prayer = try my absolute hardest to soak up this time in my life without my newlywed husband and dedicate some time to me. It’ll be tough, but we WILL reach that finish line when he gets home… and believe me… I can’t wait!
Hi! I’m Erica, and I absolutely adore sharing my life on this website with you! I come here almost daily to blab about all of the things related to being a regular wife and mother in today’s ever-evolving society. I share about our new home, what’s on our kitchen table, what we’re hanging in our closets, where we’re traveling to next, my crazy 5 a.m. work outs, how I make time for girlfriends, our faith, and much more. We always have a lot of balls in the air and somewhat thrive on the chaos. I believe in the power of story-telling as a form of inspiration and entertainment, so I’m here to do both! I was born and raised in north Alabama and recently re-planted roots here again after my husband transitioned out of the Army (he is now in the Reserve and it’s going so well!) I’m a super proud mom to three little girls (ages 7, 4, and 1) who seem to be the stars of the show around here (for good reason – they’re pretty great!) I’m so glad you found me and are here reading! I hope we can get to know each other here on the blog as well as Facebook and/or Instagram. xoxo