Thankful Thursdays

It is so easy to get bogged down by our everyday responsibilities that we often forget to stop and appreciate the people and things around us.  We whisk past the minutes as though they are just another ordinary moment in our long lives.  But the truth is, that minute will never be returned to us.  Once it’s gone, it’s gone for good.  We move forward taking our time for granted and planning our futures, forgetting that tomorrow is promised to no one. 

By practicing gratitude, we can avoid taking life for granted.  When we allow ourselves to recognize the appreciation we have for the people and things in our lives, our anxieties will start to lessen and we will begin to feel more content.  This is why I have decided to start a weekly gratitude link-up on my blog called Thankful Thursdays.  Every Thursday, I will write ten things I am feeling thankful for that week.  I invite you to post what you are thankful for, either through the comments section or by linking up to the Thankful Thursdays post on your own blog.  There’s no need to feel silly or guilty about what you post.  Gratitude can be shown for something simple like finding the perfect pair of shoes to something big like the friend who happened to call when you needed someone to talk to.  Be honest, and speak from your heart.  Let’s see how good being gracious can make us feel! 

This week, I am thankful for:

1.       Cooler weather.  The heat makes me very irritable!

2.       My husband is finally home for fall.  Here's to football and spiked cider!

3.       The new friends I have met in the past two months.

4.       The old friends who are only a phone call or text away.

5.       The support and positive reinforcement my readers have given me on my writing.

6.       A husband who still loves me when I am overtired and overreact to life’s challenges.

7.       The opportunity to be a military wife.  It has opened my eyes and humbled me to so many things!

8.       Healthy kids.  They may drive me crazy, but at least they're healthy!

9.       All-day kindergarten.   

10.   Coffee.  I'm not sure what I would do without it! 

Now it’s your turn.  What are you thankful for in this first week of fall?  Follow the link below to link up to your blog post, or simply write in the comments section. 

The Will of the Wife

Military wives, I have concluded, are like flowers.  That is why I have titled my blog “A Chance to Bloom.”  Throughout my seven-and-a-half years as a military wife, I have quietly observed fellow wives, whether friends, acquaintances, or women I don’t even know, and have discovered that as different as they all are, there is a common characteristic present in each of them: the will to keep going.  Despite many difficult circumstances and emotional setbacks, they all continue to bloom, to keep pushing forward past the rough times and becoming stronger women. 

Helen Keller described that “A  happy life comes not in the absence, but in the mastery of hardships.” This quote grasps the life of a military wife perfectly. In the world of the military, it is inevitable that hardships will occur in the form of challenging schedules, frequent moves, raising children alone, or perhaps even the loss of a soldier.  These are not situations that any wife wishes for in her life, but I have yet to witness a wife throw in the towel and walk away.  Instead, they deal with their emotions; they grieve their husbands’ absence; they vent their anger or sadness to close friends; and then they pick themselves up and keep going.  They have a will that gives them the strength to continue on the journey.   Perhaps it is because they know their husbands need their support and don’t want to let them down.  Maybe they are following the example of their husbands' drive and dedication to their country.  It could be that they are just doing what they feel God has called them to do.  No matter what the reason, this will allows them to overcome their obstacles and truly master their hardships.

Every person’s life has seasons.  Military wives are often required to endure tumultuous thunderstorms and long, gloomy winters.  But, as I have seen so far, they have a way of pushing forward and walking toward the break in the clouds.  They keep their heads up and their eyes forward.  And when they reach the sunlight, when their spring finally arrives, they bloom beautifully with renewed strength and joy.  I am honored to call myself a military wife, not only because I am proud of my husband, but because I am a part of an exceptional group of women who have set an example for how to weather the storm.  I married into the military not knowing anything about being a military wife.  But the other wives I have met along the way have shown me how to discover my own will, reach my own spring, and allow myself to bloom.  For this, I celebrate Military Spouse Appreciation Day.