Did you know we've been celebrating this holiday for nearly 100 years? I don't think a lot of people do (know it). I think it's become one of those holidays you wait for because it means "big sales" at the department stores or a day off from work (especially if you're a government employee). Like most of the holidays, Veteran's Day has also become 'commercialized'. Don't get me wrong, I'm happy to celebrate and support our nations military...I was a military spouse--my husband retired in 2000-- and a soon to be military mom. I know what our service people go through and what the families have to deal with daily. As a military spouse you're suddenly thrust into single-parenthood. You become both mom and dad to the younger children. You have to learn to split your time equally...which can be difficult if you have more than one child...and multitask like a maniac and hopefully squeeze out a little bit of 'me' time in the evening.In November 1919, President Wilson proclaimed November 11 as the first commemoration of Armistice Day with the following words: "To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nations…"
When my husband and I married, he'd already been in the Coast Guard for ten years (yes, the Coast Guard is part of the military). In those ten years we had four children, moved four times. The first move was in Alaska, when our son was 4 and our daughter was nine months old. My husband was on a Cutter for two years and in those two years spent a total of 6 months at home...long enough to give us another child. haha After returning to the lower forty-eight, we had another child and moved three more times, but luckily within the state of Texas. The last year and a half, my husband lived on-site in south Texas while we lived six hours away....all for financial reasons and because child #2 had special needs and needed to be closer to Houston's Children's Hospital. So I was a single mom of four for 18 months. But, for me, it wasn't much of a chore. I was used to doing things on my own and taking care of a large family. The hard part came when my husband visited because he messed up our routine. haha But, being with him, serving with him, made us a stronger unit than we could have ever hoped for. And I'm very proud to have been a part of his first career.
