Military Spouse Appreciation Day 2012
Military Spouse Appreciation Day falls on the Friday before Mother’s Day, May 11, 2012.
When God Created the Military Wife
The good Lord was creating a model for military wives and was into his sixth
day of overtime when an angel appeared. She said, “Lord, you seem to be
having a lot of trouble with this one. What’s wrong with the standard model?
The Lord replied, “Have you seen the specs on this order?” She has to be
completely independent, possess the qualities of both father and mother. Be a
perfect hostess to four to 40 with an hour’s notice, run on black coffee,
handle every emergency imaginable without a manual, be able to carry on
cheerfully, even if she is pregnant and has the flu, and she must be willing
to move to a new location 10 times in 17 years. And oh, yes, she must have
six pairs of hands.
The angel shook her head. “Six pairs of hands?” No way. “The Lord continued,
“Don’t worry, we will make the other military wives to help her. And we will
give her an unusually strong heart so it can swell with pride in her
husband’s achievements, sustain the pain of separations, beat soundly when it
is overworked and tired, and be large enough to say, “I understand,” when she
doesn’t, and say, “I love you’ regardless.”
“Lord,” said the angel, touching his arm gently, “Go to bed and get some
rest. You can finish this tomorrow. “I can’t stop now,” the Lord said. “I am
so close to creating something unique.” Already this model heals herself when
sick, can put up with six unexpected guests for the weekend, wave good-bye to
her husband from a pier, a runway or depot, and understand why it’s important
that he leave.” The angel circled the model of the military wife, looked
closely and sighed, “It looks fine, but it’s too soft.” She might look soft,”
replied the Lord. “But she has the strength of a lion. You would not believe
what she can endure.”
Finally, the angel bent over and ran her finger across the cheek of the
Lord’s creation. “There’s a leak,” she announced. “Something is wrong with
the construction. I am not surprised that it has cracked. You are trying to
put too much into this. “The Lord replied. “It’s for joy, sadness, pain,
disappointment, loneliness, pride and a dedication to all the values that she
and her husband hold dear.” Lord looked puzzled and replied, “I didn’t put it
there.
Unknown Author
My Best Friend is a Soldier T-Shirt
Military Spouse – Male
When God Created Fathers
By Erma Bombeck
When the good Lord was creating fathers, He started
with a tall frame.
And a female angel nearby said, “What kind of father is
that? If you’re going to make children so close to the
ground, why have you put fathers up so high? He
won’t be able to shoot marbles without kneeling, tuck
a child in bed without bending, or even kiss a child
without a lot of stooping.”
And God smiled and said, “Yes, but if I make him child
size, who would children have to look up to?”
And when God made a father’s hands, they were large
and sinewy.
And the angel shook her head sadly and said, “Do You
know what You’re doing? Large hands are clumsy. They
can’t manage diaper pins, small buttons, rubber bands
on pony tails or even remove splinters caused by
baseball bats.”
God smiled and said, “I know, but they’re large enough
to hold everything a small boy empties from his pockets at
the end of a day, yet small enough to cup a child’s face.”
Then God molded long, slim legs and broad shoulders.
The angel nearly had a heart attack. “Boy, this is
end of the week, all right,” she clucked. “Do You realize
You just made a father without a lap? How is he going to
pull a child close to him without the kid falling between
his legs?”
God smiled and said, “A mother needs a lap. A father
needs strong shoulders to pull a sled, balance a boy on a
bicycle or hold a sleepy head on the way home from the circus.”
God was in the middle of creating two of the largest
feet anyone had ever seen when the angel could contain
herself no longer. “That’s not fair. Do You honestly think
those large boats are going to dig out of bed early in the
morning when the baby cries? Or walk through a small birthday
party without crushing at least three of the guests?”
And God smiled and said, “They’ll work. You’ll see.
They’ll support a small child who wants to “ride a
horse to Banbury Cross” or scare off mice at the summer
cabin, or display shoes that will be a challenge to fill.”
God worked throughout the night, giving the father few
words, but a firm authoritative voice; eyes that see
everything, but remain calm and tolerant.
Finally, almost as an afterthought, He added tears.
Then He turned to the angel and said, “Now are you satisfied
that he can love as much as a mother?”
And the angel shutteth up!
More Military Spouse Poems