The Sisterhood

Today I watched the season 4 finale of Army Wives (no spoilers, I promise), and it got me thinking about how grateful I am for my little tribe of ladies here. For those of you who don't know, my husband serves in the United States Marine Corps. I like to think that I'm not completely sucked into the military lifestyle, but when it comes to the way friendships have to be, I took the bait hook, line and sinker.

When your service member is assigned a new duty station every few years, the friendship process is condensed. You know you only have a short time to be where you are, but without a strong support group nearby, it can be a difficult chapter of life. More often than not you turn to the Internet and form a stronger bond with the text appearing next to an unknown profile picture than with your people from back home because the person behind the words knows what you're going through.

Believe it or not, I met my closest friends through Facebook. Ashley offered me her couch even though we were total strangers. Kristin just needed help curling her hair while keeping her infant occupied. Savannah and I bonded over our fur babies. Kelsey messaged me when I was sick. And that was the start of what I can honestly say are the best friendships I've ever had so far. There's always someone to lend a hand or a shoulder or to tag along to life changing dinners or even menial shopping trips.

But that's just that. There are two sides to every coin. With the blessing of brevity also comes its curse. In the few months I've had with my soul sisters, we have been through so much. Pets coming, going, and getting left behind. Growth of children. Husbands leaving for deployment. I wouldn't trade them for anything, but I know the time for goodbye isn't that far away. In the year and a half we have left with each other, we'll face a birth, husbands returning, more fur babies, new houses, and plenty of challenges to force us each to grow as individuals and as a sisterhood.

I'm tearing up as I type this because there aren't enough words to express how blessed I am to have stumbled into the right Facebook groups, and it hurts knowing I'll have to start over again at our next stop. However, the intensity of the trials we have been through together have cemented us together for life. Not everyone is as lucky, but I will never be able to thank the Marine Corps enough, not only for the man it has made my husband to be, but also for the best group of ladies I have had the pleasure to call friends.

Now I want to know. What's your guilty pleasure(s)? What's your favorite activities to do with your friends? If you or your spouse is in the military, did you maintain your friendships from past duty stations? Until next time!!