Kelly Merkel: During the holidays, military spouses rally — despite deployments and other challenges
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}I am not extraordinary. I am not unique.
I am just one of thousands of fiercely loyal military spouses — wives and husbands who have defined and defended our families’ lives since the very beginning of this great nation.
We take on this role knowing we are a vital part of the military community. We are a support system as we care for our families — working and keeping things going at home. But it’s not easy.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}MIAMI BARBERSHOP HANDS OUT FREE HAIRCUTS TO THE HOMELESS FOR CHRISTMAS
Deployments during the holiday season are especially challenging. Military engagement doesn’t take vacation, and conflicts don’t resolve themselves. Accordingly, military spouses do not hold these expectations.
Rather, we rally.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}We rally around our families and our military families to get us through the hard moments of deployments. We rally around our Christmas traditions, big and small. We rally around care packages, short satellite phone calls and a rare photo on the news.
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My husband’s Christmas deployment was a reminder to me of the beauty of life, the importance of staying the course and the great sacrifice that comes with serving our country.
In September 2011, while my husband was deployed to Afghanistan, we were blessed with the birth of our beautiful daughter.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}My life dramatically changed. I was a new mom, working full time, maintaining our household, watching our animals and caring for our respective families.
During that same deployment, the joy of birth was countered by the grief of death as I said goodbye to two remarkable grandparents. I grew up with their stories of USO dances, cross-country moves and service in far-away countries. My grandfather’s service inspired my father to join the Navy and serve in Vietnam. I was raised a proud military kid and followed in the footsteps of my grandmothers and mother who were also military spouses.
My experience in a family with a history of service and love of freedom kept me going through all the good and bad during my husband’s deployment.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}My story is one of many thousands — beautiful moments and heartbreak military spouses must endure while our troops are away.
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Military spouses know that sacrifice accompanies service to our nation.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}As my daughter and I celebrated Thanksgiving, Christmas and the new year, we patiently waited for my husband’s return. Like many families before us, we were nervous, excited and anxious to have our Marine rejoin our everyday life.
We hold on to the good moments and wait to share them with those we love.
It’s been my honor to be a military spouse. I would choose the same path, and I would choose the same Marine.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}I ask that our lawmakers honor the sacrifice of my family and hundreds of thousands like ours by performing its constitutional duty to debate and approve when, where and, most importantly, why our honorable men and women in uniform deploy. It is our hope that troops would deploy only when America’s national interests are at stake and that leaders will fully define the mission and when it’s time to come home.
Today and every day, I urge us all to remember those who are deployed and their families. There are strong military spouses around the globe patiently waiting and children writing letters to Santa — both asking that their soldier, sailor, airman, "Coastie" or Marine come home safe.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}From my family to yours: Thank you for your service and all the sacrifices you humbly endure for our great nation!
Merry Christmas, happy holidays and Semper Fidelis.