Married to the Military — Volunteer of the Year
Jun 09 2008
It’s summertime, and that means one thing in any military community: transition time.
Best friends forever will come and go. Kids will have to adjust to new schools, new buddies, and new neighborhoods all over again. If you’re moving, you’ll have to find a new hairdresser who actually listens to you. We know it’s not easy but it comes with the territory.
My friend Charlotte probably is looking for that hairdresser right now. I wonder if she’s figured out how to say it in Japanese. I’m not too convinced that the Texas star will be able to master the language of her new duty station in just a few days, but give her a month or so, and I’ll bet she has it nailed.
You know Charlotte. Every community has one. She is the military spouse who does it all, does it well, and does it in a way that makes you admire her for it. What’s more, she does it without receiving a paycheck. If she were the least bit unlikable, her many accomplishments would get on your nerves. That, however, is far from the case.
She is the president of the PTA and successfully manages the community’s largest fund-raising event. She is the mom that shows up during the class parties, field trips, and school plays. She is a volunteer and without her hard work, dedication, and commitment to a better quality of life, certain aspects of our military communities would not earn the high marks they do. She is the person who leaves a place in a much better state than she found it and sets it up for success for the next one.
In my community, Charlotte was, in fact, voted the volunteer of the year.
Maybe you are that special military spouse with a gift for bringing people and causes together for the greater good. If not, I hope she moves in next door to you this summer.
— Janet Farley is the author of The Military Spouse’s Complete Guide to Career Success (Impact Publications, 2008) and writes the career advice column JobTalk for the Stars and Stripes newspapers.
