I loved watching my facebook feed flood with pictures of friends and their families in uniform. They all look so young - the men and women grinning with guns or knives or buddies. My friends who are married to veterans also look younger, smiling in their wedding dresses, gazing lovingly at their husbands in dress uniforms, or glowing as they hug their just-returned loved one in dirty camo. I changed my facebook profile picture to a photo from seven years ago - Karl in his Class As and me in a gold dress at Hooah prom... uhhh, I mean, military ball. I also shared a picture of me holding our eldest, not yet two, standing between Karl and his friend Lane. That photo was taken nine days after Karl got home from Iraq, the day before we got married, the day Lane got home. Lane is holding a beer in this photo. I am wearing a Princess Hooah t-shirt.
My first memory of awareness of war or soldiers is saying "Peace in the Middle East!" and flashing a peace sign when I was about eight. I was with my brothers' cub scout troop on a tour of a news station. We had a script to read for our fake broadcast and it ended with "peace in the middle east."
I was surprised when I realized that I was marrying a soldier, that my life would revolve around being a veteran's wife, because I didn't see myself or my family as military friendly. We were not a military family.
No comments:
Post a Comment