Are long distance relationships tougher?
We know that our relationships need nurturing.
But how does one nurture one’s relationship when one is far away from one’s loved ones?
And what about military people? I feel there is far more stress and worries for military people and their spouses.
I am currently listening to an audio book, The Five Love Languages Military Edition.
I had been looking for a resource for military couples and am reading this book to understand their challenges.
Jocelyn Green, a former military wife herself, has co-authored the book with Gary Chapman.
There are a lot of stories with a lot of challenges and we learn a lot as we go through this book.
Warriors are tough, warriors too have a heart.
I had never realized this deeply until I underwent the course for coaching military veterans.
During the course, I discovered the lot of tough things military people go through, their lives and their thought processes.
I understood that they too hurt. The extreme situations they go through can leave an imprint on their minds.
While we are safe in our homes, we do not understand what several military people are doing to protect us, being in the line of fire.
We rarely get an opportunity to express our gratitude to these people or even just that we admire them and do think of them.
I got a small opportunity to meet military people near our borders through an NGO, Citizen4Forces.
We were a small group of people who journeyed long distances to reach there.
I met a few wives who had come down to spend time with their husbands and I just found it hard to say something as I was afraid of speaking about something which I may not really understand.
I had one thought going on in my mind – this is a tough life for them, though I did not express it.
I looked at their children who would be leaving with their mothers soon and then would be eagerly waiting to meet their fathers again.
I just wonder what if there is a military couple who faces a conflict and the person serving in the military has to leave for an assignment. How do they feel?
What if there is not enough time to resolve the conflict? There are a number of relationships like parents, siblings, children to be nurtured. How does one balance one’s time which may be little and precious?
What if the military person has a lot to think about? Maybe something worrying. We all worry about work. How do they deal with giving their complete selves wherever they are?
When at work, they are completely engaged in work. When at home, their relationships too demand that they be there for their loved ones completely.
I also felt a great sense of belonging among all the military people. I have felt that missing in corporate life. In corporate life, it is common to switch jobs for a better opportunity.
In corporate life, usually there is no feeling of serving a higher purpose.
As a civilian, there is not much I can do to help people in the military. But if I there is anything I can do, that would be great.
