What it's really like to be an army wife

So, I hear that there are stereotypes about being an army wife...and I want to say something about this. I am an army wife. I am an educated woman from middle class upbringing and we don't get more money for more kids. (Yes, I have heard that one.) Let me tell you what we are: strong (ok, well most of us), plumbers, electricians, nurses, secretaries, teachers, babysitters, house cleaners, mothers, and sisters; many of these are not by trade, but by necessity. We learn to do so many things while our men are out in the field, at schools, on deployments, or doing some other training. We are the underlying support system of the army (ok, and there are some men in this category, but we don't hear too much about y'all.) Too many people think that we are nothing but blithering idiots that stay pregnant and sit on our butts and do absolutely nothing. Our job is sometimes the hardest. We don't wield guns or fight on the front lines of war, but we have to deal with bills, crying children who miss daddy and wonder why he has to be gone for so long, and generally just try and keep the ship afloat while our men are away. We have to project the outward appearance of having everything together and being cool, calm, and collected. What many don't realize is that we cry ourselves to sleep when the children are finally asleep. We hold a shirt, a teddy bear, a picture, a piece of jewelry, or dog tags close to our hearts because our soldier gave them to us, or it smells like him. Anything to remember our soldier when all we have are memories, letters, or pictures. Believe it or not, sometimes we have hard times picturing our soldier's face because we haven't seen them in 6 months, 9 months, a year. Sometimes we go to the hospital and give birth to babies that won't meet his/her father for many months to come. So tell me: how do some of you people out there who have never been in our shoes get off talking trash about army wives? I'm just sayin' that you should walk a mile in our shoes before you make assumptions. You know what they say about assuming things. 

Anyways, that's my rant for this evening. I am gonna do my best to stay off the topic of politics and religion, since my views tend to really tick people off or cause a tizzy. But this one thing just had to be addressed before I went any further. Thanks for listening to/reading my crazy ranting :)