Snow Day Canceled

John Lennon once said "Life happens when we are making plans.". Never have I seen this be more true than in Army wife life. Rule number one, in the imaginary rule book no one gives you when you marry a soldier... NEVER believe it till it happens. This rule applies to moves, promotions, titles, deployments, and of course... magical days off. Now, the rest of Fort Bliss still has the day off! My husband was the unlucky soul who got a text at 10:55 last night telling him to be in at 9 along with one staff member. RATS!

You know I really believe that because Military life works so differently than the Civilian world, that they should issue us a "guidelines for surviving" book! If I were to make my own Military Wife Guidelines they would probably look something like this;
1. As stated above NEVER believe it till it happens.

2. The comissary is a-kin to a third world country flea market on payday and the weekend following. As my friend Nathalie says... during this time it is the comiSCARY not the comissary.

3. Make sure you own at least one conservative but flattering little black dress (this comes in handy at dinner parties hosted by the chain of commands' wives, luncheons... when paired with a pretty cardigan, and other gatherings)

4. If you are blessed enough to have an FRG that functions well, and acts as the support group it is intended to be than please participate in it. HOWEVER, in the more common than it should be case that your FRG has become a drama-llama percolator feel free to make your own support group. Chances are there is at least one other wife feeling what you feel within the unit, join ranks, have coffee, or dinner.... the point of an FRG is to have a safe place to talk, vent, and share military life highs and lows. So, if that means making your own little group to get that support, so be it!

5. Always kiss your husband like its the first time, and the last time! Military life is, at its best, very unpredictable. Here today, deployed tomorrow is a phrase I hear coined by many of my peers. I myself have waited through 4 OCONUS deployments to Iraq and 1 year long CONUS one. (For newbies or non-military OCONUS- outside continental US, CONUS- continental US) So you never know when they will get orders to be in the field for a month, or to head up a JRTC training and be in another state for 6 weeks. Or I have even known couples who got a two week notice for deployment.

6. TIME is precious- Until you wait through a deployment you will never really understand this. Every lazy Saturday, every meal you eat as a family, even the crappy days are still days you get to go to bed next to one another. Enjoy your TIME, do things you wouldn't normally do... travel, check out museums, try new restaurants, explore with your partner and breathe in every moment.

7. Don't be afraid to step out of your comfort zone and make friends. You will learn quickly that the Army (or any military branch) is a small community. Chances are you will see the same sets of couples and people throughout your military career. Some of my greatest friendships are ones with people who I knew for a short time before we moved away but we have kept in close contact through emails, facebook, and phone. Some rotate back to the post you are at, and in other cases when you are looking at your next duty station assignment it will be a blessing to you to know people there already! "Oh so and so is stationed there I think" , one email or call later and you have an "inside man" who can give you the in's and out's of your new town!

Thats it, my semi-magical 7 tips for military spouses.... maybe I should print this officially and start passing it out at weddings? :)

Be blessed!