I support my husband 100% percent in what he does... both personally and professionally. He's always been drawn to challenging and exciting jobs where each day is different. That is what drew him towards joining the Foreign Service (FS) in his particular speciality. And I support that wholeheartedly because I know when he's happy professionally, it overflows into our family life at home.
But as a new FS spouse who witnessed last week's events in the Middle East along with everyone else, my heart sunk to think about what my husband just got us into as a family. Could the State Department send us to...??? What happens if...??? What about...??? These are all questions I bombarded him with over the past week. And since he's in the middle of training, there's been little opportunity for us to chat much and even less time for us to discuss the recent events. He's tried to calm my fears the best he can, but of course, there are many unanswered questions lingering out there that can only be answered with time (or the time-honored State Department answer of... "It Depends").
However, I've learned something that I think is absolutely fantastic. I learned we've joined a new kind of family by joining the FS. The kind of family that rallies around each other during the difficult times. I witnessed spouses of others in my husband's speciality email, Facebook, tweet, and blog about their support for the FS as a whole and our country's continued presence overseas. It's a band of people who came together and offered support to any and all affected, despite being aghast at the world events as they unfolded.
Before moving last year, I had lived in the same town my entire life. The idea of the FS was huge to me but it sounded like an exciting adventure for our family. And while last week's events gave me a moment's pause, seeing the family we're now a part of made me prouder than ever to expand my horizons and be a part of FS family. I support the men and women who go overseas to practice diplomacy (which will be us in the future) and have a newly found understanding of the sacrifices they make in the service of our nation.
