A Salute to America's Military Mothers

by Donna Teresa, Staff Writer

Mother’s Day is a celebration of the extraordinary spirit of the special women who we call "mom."

I’m raising a toast to honor these special ladies in our military communities. Their tireless efforts are found not just in America, but all over the world. Let’s recognize their commitment to their families and to this country.

Here on the home front, they are stepping up and keeping families together while husbands are away. These women are making sure that children have a stable environment while their fathers are deployed. They are making sure children are getting to school, homework is completed, after-school sports and activity appointments are kept.     And handling other household chores is no easy task. In addition, many need to work outside the home for financial reasons. These ladies represent consistency, which is especially important so that the family separation is not so stressful to the children.

With fathers having to return to the Middle East multiple times, the missing presence of a parent is difficult for a family to endure.

Military mothers know they must play the role of both parents while one is away and it cannot be easy. The military community is a very close group of people and, fortunately, for these mothers, they have the support of other military families, churches and other organizations.

Grandparents have played an important role in this current conflict as well, as some military couples have had to be deployed at the same time.

Grandparents graciously stepped in to take care of the children while parents are away. They are a tremendous support to these families and help provide the constant comfort of family during these stressful times.

Serving abroad, our ladies in uniform answer our nation’s call and put themselves in harm’s way. Many have sacrificed time away from their own families and have paid the ultimate sacrifice with their lives. Whether on the home front or serving in military locations all over the world, our military women find the quiet strength and courage to do their very best for their families and those they serve with. It is a unique bravery that sometimes gets overlooked.

I would be remiss not to acknowledge the other special ladies who have faithfully sent letters, care packages and other comforts from home to our troops and provided their healing touch to the wounded at our VA hospitals throughout America.

They may or may not be related to our troops, but their compassion and kindness have provided a smile to someone’s son or daughter so far away from home. They are truly special people.

We civilian moms have the luxury of being home with our families, a gift that we take for granted. Who are we to complain when we have to help our children with homework, have household chores to do, appointments to make etc.?

Somewhere out there, is a mom in uniform serving in difficult conditions, separated from her family. Or, a wife worrying about her husband in harm’s way.

I don’t know how these ladies do it, but they do. This Mother’s Day, please keep these special ladies in your thoughts and let us not forget the sacrifices and challenges they face every day.

To my mom, thanks for always supporting everything I do and never thinking that it was a crazy idea for a woman to write about the military.

Happy Mother’s Day to all the ladies, in uniform or not, thanks for keeping America strong through the years!

Donna Teresa can be reached at donnateresa@sbcglobal.net.Homefront Journal Donna Teresa writes a salute to America’s military mothers, only at www.montereyherald.com.