My World (venting) Being a Military Wife

Some people think “oh yes, it’s hard when your husband is deployed”
And yes, it’s true. Deployment is really tough, but when they come home it’s not over….

When the husband comes home people stop thinking your life is hard, and they start believing you’ve got the easiest life ever. Especially if you don’t work. “Oh, you’ve got such a rough life (sarcastic). “ “Im so jealous you get to just sit around all day and don’t have to work”
--yeah, I don’t just sit around all day, thank you--

It’s not so…life doesn’t just become “easy” when they get back from deployment…

And im frustrated with people saying so.
Honestly, I never thought much of military life until now that im a part of it.

So you think my life is easy because im a stay at home army wife with no kids…..

Well let me just let you in on a little secret. Yes, im looking for a job, but at the moment im just enjoying having my husband home (after a whole year of not seeing him since he was deployed). And I love being able to see him at lunch when he is able to come home and have dinner waiting for him when he comes home and have the house clean so he can just be relaxed after a long day at work.

My husband gets up at 5 every morning (or earlier) in order to make it to formation and do PT, Monday thru Friday. He comes home at 8 in order to change into his uniform but he’s always sweaty, hot and tired from the early morning AND exercise but still only has time for either a quick shower OR breakfast (only one or the other) and has to be changed and go back off to work.

He works all morning long, mostly outside in the heat and no ac and he comes home for lunch once again hot, sweaty and even more tired (You know how hot it is in Oklahoma? Yeah it’s at LEAST 105 every day if not hotter)…By lunch he’s definitely needing some motivation to get him through the rest of the day. In that case Aaron usually texts me to let me know he’s on his way home for lunch and im able to whip him up something in order for it to be ready for when he walks through the door so he can eat and have a few minutes to relax before going back to work.

Lunch is short for him (if he gets it or gets to come home at all) and he goes back to work.

I never really know when Aaron’s going to come home because they don’t just work 8-5...sometimes he doesn’t come home until 7:30pm….or just whenever….
For example: Today Aaron and I had to get up BEFORE 4 this morning to be able to make it to a freakishly EARLY formation this morning…
Then there are the 24 hour shifts they have….
The 10 days straight in the field without coming home…
Weekends are a “Priveledge”
And the list goes on….

Tell me my life is easy. My husband just got back from a year in Afghanistan and then he goes to another duty station and just a few weeks in he has to go to the field for ten days.

He works late hours and even though he’s now back in the states and home I still feel like I haven’t been able to see him much. He’s home, but yet…he’s always going…going going and then those days he’s in the field it’s like he’s deployed again except I don’t have to worry as much about him because he’s still at least in the same area…just can’t come home.

Anyways, im venting because im tired of the lack of respect from some people that I know and I just needed to vent. Just because I stay at home and have no kids does not mean that I just sit around watching t.v. and eating and being lazy all day. I’m a stay at home wife and im providing for my little “family” in ways that used to never been looked down upon in the past when women stayed at home. I stay at home, take care of our little kitten, I keep the house clean, cook the meals and soon im hoping to start back up in school so I can get my degree and then I’ll be able to work in the field I truly feel I’ll be happy to work in (social work).
Just because I stay at home doesn’t mean we’re filthy rich either….we have a lot of financial obligations and living on one VERY small income isn’t easy, but I do have a supportive husband that wants me to find a job that I’ll be happy with before I get my degree so yes, I am taking my time on that aspect of life.

Im blessed with an amazing husband that supports me as a stay at home wife and supports us with his job. I’m proud to be an army wife. Im proud to be a stay at home wife. And im tired of people thinking that just because I stay at home my life is easy.

P.s. like I said, this is just venting. But don’t get me wrong, I don’t think military is the hardest lifestyle…I just want to make it clear that it’s definitely not the easiest either.

Thanks :)