I am an Army wife, happily married to my soldier for 4 1/2 years, but we've been together off and on for almost 10 yrs. He is my best friend, my lifeline, my rock, my true love, and my hero..Without him I would go crazy. We have 3 little girls, ages 5 yrs, 4 yrs, and 2 yrs, and a little boy that is soon to turn 1. Anything else you wanna know..ASK ME!!

If you're not in love with a soldier, you can't know adventure. You don't know smelly gray PT uniforms that require a daily washing. You can't understand green and brown camouflaged bags flooding your bedroom floor!

If you're not in love with a soldier, you can't understand the meaning of the phrase "going to the field" and the weeks you spend away from each other.

If you're not in love with a soldier, you can never imagine the hole in your heart when that phone call comes? "Honey, I am leaving tomorrow to go overseas. I don't know how long I will be gone or exactly where I am going, but I want you to know that I love you -always!"

If you're not in love with a soldier, you don't know what it's like to say that final good-bye. You don't know what it really means to be glued to the television. You don't understand fear and you can't possibly understand the sleepless nights of endless crying wondering if you will ever see the love of your life alive again.

If you're not in love with a soldier, you can't know the immense joy, the uncontrollable smile, or the butterflies in your stomach when you see your soldier march into the family waiting area upon redeployment. You can't understand the self-control it takes to stand on the other side of the room as some higher-up gives a seemingly endless welcome home speech while all the soldiers stand in a formation. You don't know what it's like to have that second first kiss or what it's like to experience puppy love all over again.

If you're not in love with a soldier, you can't truly understand how to make every moment count because you never know when the phone call may come again.

If you're not in love with a soldier, you can never really understand how very delicate life is!

The next time you see a soldier remember how much they sacrifice in life so each one of us can have ours. And also remember all those who are married, how much they leave behind each time they go somewhere.