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Thoughts on a New Role in the Army Family

Yikes!  It's really been almost a month since I blogged here.  Life has been a true whirlwind in the past few weeks.  I have been welcomed into a wonderful group of Army Families on Fort Hood and spent some significant time figuring out how to be a "commander's wife."  I didn't realize the extent of the expectations held by so many of this new role ... so let me just say upfront: I will do my best ... and ... I will mess this up.

I will do my best because ... I adore Army Soldiers and their Families.  I am constantly amazed by their independence, resourcefulness, resilience, courage, and strength.  I love the Army because of the people in it and I have always wanted to do my very best to be helpful in some way, however I could.  In this role, I simply want to do the same. 

I will mess this up because ... I am just one person.  I am human, possibly more prone to error than average, but always with my heart in the right place.  I have no choice but to bring all of my traits into this role; the good, the bad, and the ugly ... and just hope that the good outweighs the rest.  I can promise that I will always do my best but also realize that I won't always get it right.

So ... if you're reading this and you happen to be in the unit I just joined ... I promise to do my best for you.  Please forgive me for my faults and know that I am extraordinarily excited to be a part of this group.  Please share your ideas and know that you are always welcome at unit events.  I want our time together to be fun, informative, and productive.  I believe that we are a unit Family and want us to take care of each other just like a good family would.

If you're reading this and are in another military unit ... I would encourage you to give your unit a chance.  Units are made of humans ... and humans always have faults.  If you've had a bad experience or aren't happy with how things are going, give those leaders the benefit of the doubt.  With few exceptions, most in leadership positions really are just trying to do their best.  They may mess it up but seldom do that on purpose.  Find your niche and volunteer to help.  Be a part of the solution and help make your unit better ... perhaps even "Be All You Can Be!"  Okay, too cheesy, I know, but you get my point.

Finally, if you're reading this and have no idea what I'm talking about, just disregard and say a special prayer for our military commanders, their Families, and the units they lead.  All kind words, thoughts, and prayers are always appreciated!

Comments

  1. I know you're going to do a fantastic job as the "COW" (notice how I incorporated an acronym AND quotation marks?) Oh, cow is commanding officer's wife. I have a magnet on my fridge with that and a cute cow.
    I want you to keep in mind that the people who may criticize you have no idea how hard this job is. They probably don't know you well or your heart, or they would not criticize. People WILL criticize, you can't please everyone.
    Good luck with it and enjoy the ride!!

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