"SEASONED"
What does it mean to be a seasoned spouse? The Army definition is spouses of 5 or more years of experience as an Army spouse.
When I think back to the beginning of my 12 years as an Army spouse, I find humor in this labeling. You see, when you first marry into the Army, it is VERY much like being thrown into a frying pan. You go in all raw and fresh like a newly cut chicken breast. Then as the butter around you begins to heat up, otherwise known as Army life, you might get a little sprinkle of salt and pepper. (Oh who am I kidding? You WILL get salt and peppered!) The salt and pepper in this case would be some form of "life lesson" in the Army.
Simple seasonings might be dealing with housing, figuring out what all of the acronyms stand for, learning to read your soldier's LES, etc. As the recipe progresses, spices get heavier and more intense. Throw in some cayenne pepper, or in this case, deployments. Not hot enough? Add some jalapeno peppers, a.k.a. things that will inevitably go wrong or break the moment your soldier leaves.
Now, the key to this recipe and becoming fully seasoned to so called "perfection" is learning to balance the spices. This means learning how to handle everything that is thrown at you. This job, because regardless of what outsiders might say, it is a job, requires a great amount of self assurance. There is no room for self doubt.
You can't just call your soldier every time you come up against a jalapeno pepper! As a seasoned spouse, I find that there is no room for a weak stomach. My best advice, have TUMS on hand, because the only sure thing in this life is LOTS of spice!
Bon Appetit!
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