Mes Amies

Spoiler alert: This is an emotional post.
As an ex-spouse of a veteran, I have lived through some rough moments. I joined a private group on Facebook for spouses of veterans and I was shocked at the stories I read and the struggles these women were faced with each and every day. It's kind of hard to describe the emotional toll, it's almost, not exactly, like describing motherhood or depression. You kind of have to live it to understand it.
My therapist described me as someone who has an unusual amount of internal strength. I believe I inherited it from my mother who can bulldoze through adversity, but I also believe that my friends were the pillars that kept me steady. It's that nature vs nurture theory where we are essentially molded by both.
In life, we have many friends and for the most part they are only meant to be in your life temporarily. They were sent to you for a specific reason, to learn- good or bad, and then move on. When the relationship is strained or difficult, it is a sign to let go of that person. It's hard to accept but it will make sense later.
Then, there are those friends who become part of your sisterhood. It's unexpected, at first, but when the veil of caution is removed you find a spirit so in tune to yours that it brings genuine happiness to your life. To say that I am grateful for these friends seems so shallow compared to the deep feelings I have for them. They were my crutches when I felt like falling; they were my wings to help me in flight so that I can soar; they are my stitches from an open wound held tightly to heal and a mark to lovingly remember. I am who I am not just because of me being me, but because I have friends who helped me and believed in me that I was so much more.
Hence, it is impossible for me to forget each one of them, as I invest my efforts in maintaining my love and bond for them permanently attached to my life.