So, I am reading this book...

I just started it. It's called Heros at home. I ordered it from MilitaryOneSource.com . Did you know that military can order books for free from them including shipping? I have received so many awesome books that I love! If you have a chance, read: "The Long Road Home" by Martha Raddatz, "While They're at War" by Kristin Henderson, and "Going Overboard" by Sarah Smiley. Military or not, awesome books!

Anyway, so I am now reading "Heroes at Home" by Ellie Kay. I just started but found a chapter with a cool exercise in it. Try this.

Step One: Think about all the things you enjoy most in life right now. These must be things that are on the outside of your home, and they cannot be your own family.

Step Two: Narrow your list to the top three.

Step Three: Walk over to the trash, and throw it away. You just moved and no one cares.

Now, image doing this over and over again with very little warning to places you have never been. This is the life of military. Only with the military the spouses get to do it alone most the time. No one to take turns getting up with the baby (and the baby may not even know Dad when he comes home). No one to fix the garbage disposal. No one to go on a date with, accompany her to the principal or doctors' office. No one to share the funny little thing that Holly did or Hunter said that only the other parent would find so endearing. No one for Hunter to play catch with or take Meg to the father/daughter party. No one to kiss tenderly, wipe her tears, and most of all, no one even to know she cried herself to sleep or to snuggle with at night.

Those are some of the things Ellie Kay lists in this chapter. She isn't looking for people to pity military wives, just understand where we are coming from when maybe we seem emotional, air headed, or can't seem to get the kids to behave. The book goes through the lives of different military spouses with different experiences. I don't know about you, but I love learning about other people lives and experiences, military or not. So, gives these books a thought, and if you happen to see some parent at their wits end, just remember there is probably a very good reason for it.