What The Navy Gave Us

I have often found myself getting caught up in the negatives of having my husband in the Navy, I won't lie and act like I've been perfect and positive this whole time. It seems like it is expected of you to be sad, to be lonely and depressed the whole time your s/o is deployed or even when talk of deployment is brought up.

People often say thing such as: "Your husband is leaving again! He just got home! That must be so hard. I don't know how you two make it." Yes of course, it is hard for us to be apart. We haven't had much time together. But I know exactly how we make it :D We communicate, we always are open about our feelings, we respect each other, and we truly love each other.

But do you know what really keeps me grounded and positive? My husband from the start of our relationship would tell me "The Navy gave me you, it's the least I can do for them." It makes me tear up just to write that. I was in the Air Force and we were working together at the same base. As soon as we spent time together outside of work we feel fast and hard in love. We both admired each other for having the guts to voluntarily sign up for military service and go through training and give up our homes and move thousands of miles from our families. He always told me he was meant to join the Navy so that it would not only bring him to me, but prepare him to be my husband.

You see, the Navy taught him to be clean (who doesn't want that in a husband!). The Navy gave him the ability to not only provide for a family, but to be independent of his parents and start a new life. It gave him the tools to further his college education, to travel, to save for retirement. He believes the military made us better for each other, and better as people.

So when I start to feel like complaining about "The Navy taking my husband away for months at a time." I also remember the Navy sent my husband to my base where we met, they gave us a place to live, they pay our bills, they take care of him, they take care of us.

Of course, I'm not saying it isn't ok to be sad. I do miss my husband every second, of every day for the last 4 deployments. But I don't blame the Navy. He has a job to do, and he can't do it if I'm not supporting him and the service that he is in. I am so grateful to the military for all that they provide and for keeping my husband safe every time he goes out to sea. I could not be more proud of him for managing his job so well, his duties at sea and at home. He intends to stay in for about 17 more years and I will stand by his side through those years remembering where we came from, how we met on that Air Force base many years ago. I never want to take for granted or forget what the Navy gave us.