My
husband and I spent time together in Washington DC before he departed
for his new assignment with the State Department this past week. I so
much enjoyed resting while he did his training for this position, and
then in the evenings we enjoyed long and significant talks, relaxing in
the hotel, seeing the sights of Washington, and dining out. Over the
weekend there was no required training classes, and one of the most
refreshing and beneficial treats we savored was having lunch on Sunday
with friends. They have built a beautiful marriage which is approaching
fifty years in length, and was forged and refined like gold in the
fires of his service in the Army.
I have learned so much from my husband going to war.
It
takes a special man and woman with a rare relationship to stand the
test of time and service. My husband and I both admire this couple for
so many reasons. Their leadership is unequaled and unfailing. That
can be rare in the military as a service person rises in rank. Having
someone to look up to unquestioningly becomes more difficult as the
intoxicating force of increasing power affects officers who may have
once served from a self-less heart. Changes can, almost without any sense of awareness, occur within anyone. The
pressures associated with enormous responsibilities, and being
surrounded by people whose job it is to do your bidding and follow your
every directive without question, are just two of the forces which can
change men and women serving in the uppermost ranks. These changes can
make an individual more humble and aware of just how grave the
responsibilities and accountability are, or they can easily become just
as ugly as any addictive abuse ever taken up by a man or woman, and
just as destructive.
The spouse of a Soldier serves too, as well as their children.
The
ability for the abuse of power is built into military service by the
very nature of that service, and what is required of men and women who
consent to make war in the defense of this nation and its'
constitution. Always, the military must self police for the abuse of
power within their ranks. That "policing" falls to a smaller and smaller
group as an officer advances in rank, and can create an incestuous
"policing process." In fact, the selection process for the next rank a
Soldier attains becomes increasingly incestuous as well, as only those
above you in rank can select officers. There is a "boarding" performed
by other officers who are one rank above a service person, which makes
the selection from those qualified to be promoted.
Americans,
and especially all of us who "lend" our beloved family members to
service, demand the most stringent adherence to honor in this
self-policing and self appointing, as does the very privilege itself of
serving. However, I have observed that a man or woman strong enough to
serve at the highest pinnacles without yielding to the intoxication is
rare indeed. I have also noted with shame that the principle of
"going along to get along," seems to prevail as well.
The
rarer leader, who because of unfaltering honor and integrity, does not
make it as far in rank is always the one that others wish to follow.
They breed trust in all they encounter. Such is the man whom we had
lunch with on Sunday. I must admit I have observed character flaws in
my own husband, and I am sure they exist in our friend as well, which
are of a personal nature, but in the grand scheme they are without much
impact on the world. (Sometimes my husband doesn't actually listen to
me when I talk to him, he just smiles and nods yes, and sometimes he
isn't careful, but rather runs with scissors, and he walks really fast
and it is hard to keep up, ...those types of things.) My husband too
is one of those men of integrity of service. He would not make any
decision in service that he did not believe to be in the best interest
of the mission and those under his command under any circumstances, even
if it cost him personally. I have watched him make and execute
decisions that did just that, but they were the right decisions to make,
and the right thing to do. For that reason, and many others, I have a
deep abiding admiration for him that knows no limits. Our friend Alba
has the same thing for her husband.
The road home to our house in early spring.
As
I have watched my husband at command and in personal service, I have
seen how necessary it is for him to have those in leadership in whom he
finds that same quality. I tell the reader again, that is harder to
find all the time. So on Sunday as we talked with our friends, and they
shared memories of their lives of service and news of their present
service, my husband found refreshment and encouragement. I know it will
empower him as he serves at the American Embassy in Iraq during this
critical time. When pressures for compromise assail him, as they surely
will, knowledge of the fact that there does exist leadership which
over a lifetime has never wavered, will give him strength and courage.
When things look impossible to achieve, but are essential to achieve,
that same knowledge of uncommon leadership in our friends will
unconsciously urge him to never give up , but to work beyond the
impossible. I am so grateful for men and women of such distinction and
honor, and the benefit of watching their lives.
Sometimes in life, it rains until it floods.
While the actual service of this man of leadership will be the
capacitating source of my husband's support, I do not believe it
could have occurred without a factor that was undeniable in his living
room that day. That old cliche, "behind every good man..." Well, you
know the rest, and it may be a tired expression, but it is a powerful
truth. As I participated in the soothing conversation which encouraged
me every bit as much as my husband, I took note, as I always do, of
the dynamics between this couple. His beautiful wife has a devotion,
loyalty, and love which shines constant in her essence for her husband.
The stories of the challenges of this love over the years strike at my
heart in waves of admiration and appreciation for her life and all she
is.
Nights can be long for the wife of a deployed Soldier.
Even
more compelling are the waves of those same emotions and life long
love that emanate from him for her. He doesn't have to proclaim that
he could not have done it without her support, it is forever etched in
his face and its' expression. He loves her in a way that only a man
who is never anything but lifted by a woman knows. She is possessed of
as much inner strength and courage, maybe even more, as he is. She is
as devoted to this country and self-less service as he is. I take
that back, she is more devoted, and he above all others knows it.
God helps and strengthens a good Soldier, and the spouse of a Soldier as well.
My
husband and I are so favored to know these two people; we have
received so much from them, and did so again on Sunday. So I offer the
words of tribute that came to me in honor of the both of them. They
speak of her, but he will find delight in them, because he finds such
delight and ennobling in her. Thanks to the both of you for all you
have stood for all these years. I know I speak for the legions who are
better because of your lives.
Rare and Remarkable Women
I watched as he lovingly gazed at her in their living room today,
At her sweet face, earnest smile, and her hair's soft curls with their touch of gray.
He stared as though it were the first time that he had admired.
Of this view, I realized, the powerful and honorable man never grew tired.
I knew of all the years she had devoted her life and love,
To the man of steel, who watched as though she were an angel from above.
It came to me that behind the men of his caliber that I am privileged to know,
Often from such a woman rare and remarkable love flows.
As she earnestly spoke of the topic of the moment, her hands moved with their usual grace.
His delight in this endearing quality was visible on his face.
All those gestures, which in more than forty years of devotion, had often been observed,
Still called to him to cling to her words, making sure each was heard.
In every endeavor he always sought council from those he knew to be wise and informed,
But he knew hers came, without exception, from a heart which to nothing but good would ever conform.
It had not been just to him she had given so much, she reached out to all, not just their own,
The legacy of her life would be that of great love when the Lord finally called her home.
Together they shared stories of the children who had been nurtured between them.
Many times his duties had taken him far from home, and she had soldiered on without him.
As they spoke with pride of each child and their accomplishments,
His demeanor spoke of where he knew so much of the credit earnestly went.
Often I have observed the same quiet tribute of love and admiration,
In the faces of the brave and self-less men who courageously give so much to this nation.
I knew why he lovingly gazed at her in their living room today,
At her sweet face, earnest smile, and her hair's soft curls with their touch of gray.
To
all of the women reading this poem who recognize themselves, thank you
for your service. To all the men who know themselves to have the
beautiful gift of such a woman in your lives, make sure she always knows
her value. The Bible says, "it is far above rubies..."
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