I'm feeling very lucky right now. I am so grateful to have the life I have, and have the friends and family that I have been blessed with. Moving to J-ville (yes my nickname for Jacksonville, good huh?!) was the best decision I have ever made. When Erik asked me two years ago if I would move with him to his next duty station, my reply was, "I'll follow you anywhere." Without a doubt, and without thinking for a split second. And I meant it. Did I question it during the move? Yes. Did I wonder if I was doing the right thing, if I would be okay without friends and family near me? Yes. Am I glad I went anyway? You bet your ass.
I think so many military significant others get caught up (including myself) in the whole, "poor poor me" train of thinking. A lot of women, complain about being so far away from home, not having friends, not having family near by, not knowing where they are at, not having a life. You name it. We complain about it. Duty nights, watch billets, deployments, underways. You get the picture. I'm not saying I'm any better than anyone else, lord only knows how much I complain. I complained about probably everything I just named, excluding watches and duty days. We get caught up in the negative that we forget the positive. I mean I got the chance to pack up everything and move 700 miles away and start over, fresh. With the one person who loves me more than anything, the one person I want standing by my side for the rest of my life. I got to start over. Move away from all the hometown drama, all the horrible memories that I have there. Not many people get the opportunity and chance that I have.
Honestly, how many couples can say that they get that one moment to fall in love all over again? Not many.
How many civilians can say that they've had this moment?
Nothing can compare to the pride and the joy and the absolute love that I have for this man. I am so beyond lucky that I have been blessed with someone who loves me. I am so lucky that I get the opportunity to live somewhere new, and meet new people from all over the country. I get to explore new area's and heck if I get pulled over, I can just throw out the "Sorry Officer, I'm not from here and I just don't know where I am going" . I think it becomes so easy to dwell on the negative, the drawbacks from this life. Not everything is grand and sugar coated. But that's life, no matter what. And no, being military affiliated doesn't mean that I am so much better than the next person. We are ALL everyday normal people. Just because of the job our loved one does does not mean we are better than the next person. Our men chose to enlist. No one made them, it's their job to get deployed. We chose to support them. That's all. Do we deserve a reward for it - no. We only chose to support them because we love them, heck if Erik worked at WalMart I'd still support him because that's what someone does for someone they love.
But back to the point of this post. I am truly lucky. I have an amazing man, who loves me with all of his heart. Someone who chose me, little me, to fall madly in love with and to take with him when he moved. He didn't have to by any means. I could still be sitting in Virginia Beach, but no I am sitting in sunny, beautiful Jacksonville Florida excited over the home he just bought us. I have an amazing job that I can take with me no matter where we get transferred to.
It's so easy to think about all the 'bad' things in your life. Stop. Think about all the amazing things you have to be thankful for, think about everything you have. I couldn't imagine 3 years ago, or heck even as a little girl that I would be as lucky as I am today. I have the one thing that no one can take away from me, the one person who loves me for everything I am and everything I'm not. I am so thankful to have Erik in my life. I am so thankful to be in Jacksonville. I am so thankful to have friends and family and people who care about my happiness.
Maybe this is more or less a mushy gushy post. But whatever. So be it. The point I am trying to get at is to be thankful for everything you have, for everything you don't and for all the experiences you will and have had. Instead of thinking about how horrible the military life is, think about everything it's given you.
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