We drove. And drove. And listened to MapQuest when we shouldn't have. Checked into the hotel and slept.
We got up and registered for the conference, snagged a wonderful breakfast and found our table. We settled in, looking over agendas and sighing over the schedule. We listened to speakers, shifted in our seats, passed looks over the table, and had a working lunch.
Finally we were released for an hour's break in the mid-afternoon, and it was time. Husbands went to rooms to sleep or play computer games or just veg out. Children were checked on, babies fed. And the quiet bar wasn't quiet anymore.
I know many people wonder how accurate the Lifetime show "Army Wives" is, and I've commented on it in previous blogs. I have to say I'm thankful that for once my wifeys and I were able to live a moment from the show gleefully: We settled around a table and had some stress-relief, Hump Bar style. We giggled over missteps, grumbled about a set of orders our husbands had been given, and reconnected as battle buddies from the homefront. The ice in glasses clinked and we laughed harder, settling in to share in some fun and some tears, hugs and raised eyebrows and one cherry stolen.
Yeah, that was me. I couldn't help it, it looked so lonesome sitting all alone in the glass. And we just can't have a lonely cherry, now can we?
One of the harder things about being a Guard or Reserve wife is the lack of close military community. We come together for events and then disperse across the state till the next time we're told to meet. Thank goodness for the shift toward family involvement in the military community, because it facilitates conferences and support like what we had this weekend: a chance to do more than just touch base through email or Facebook. We were able to voice concerns, share problems, and give each other the support we need as we continue to make adjustments and reform our families, post-deployment.
We were also able to laugh ourselves silly in an empty bar during the early afternoon. Thank you to the National Guard for making that possible...and thank you to my wives for being there. You're unforgettable.
4 comments:
That is so good to hear that they have things like that for reserve wives. I have heard that when your husband is in the reverses it is really hard to find that military community.
I do feel like parts of the Army wives show can be true :)
It's definitely a lot harder...or maybe I should say it takes more effort. We're not necessarily running into each other at the commissary or in the carpool lines, but I'm sure active duty wives have trouble finding a community they're comfortable enough to trust, too. It's never easy to try to build that support, is it?
I am still friends with folks from our Medevac unit - people we met and were stationed with back in 91'. It seems to be a bond that lasts.
I can't imagine what it is like to have to go through things on your own without a support. I know there are online groups etc, but it can't be the same as face to face contact.
And I'm glad you gave the maraschino cherry the dignity it deserved.
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