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The good Lord was creating a model for
military spouses and was into his sixth day of over-time when an
angel appeared. She said, Lord, you seem to be having a lot of
trouble with this one. What's wrong with the standard model?
The Lord replied, Have you seen the
specs on this order? They need to be completely independent, possess
the qualities of both father and mother, be a perfect host/hostess
to four or 40 with an hour's notice, run on black coffee, handle
every emergency imaginable without a manual, be able to carry on
cheerfully, even if they are pregnant and have the flu; and they
must be willing to move to a new location 10 times in 17 years. And,
oh yes, they must have six pairs of hands.
The angel shook her head. Six pairs of
hands? No way.
The Lord continued, Don't worry, we
will make other military spouses to help them. And we will give them
an unusually strong heart so it can swell with pride in their
spouse's achievements, sustain the pain of separations, beat soundly
when it is over-worked and tired, and be large enough to say, 'I
don't understand', when they don't, and say, 'I love you' ,
regardless.
Lord, said the angel, touching his arm
gently, Go to bed and get some rest. You can finish this tomorrow.
I can't stop now, said the Lord. I am
so close to creating something unique. Already this model heals
themselves when they are sick, can put up six unexpected guests for
the weekend, wave good-bye to their spouses from a pier, a runway or
a depot, and understand why it's important that they leave.
The angel circled the model for
military spouses, looked at it closely and sighed, It looks fine,
but it's too soft.
They might look soft, replied the
Lord, but they have the strength of a lion. You would not believe
what they can endure.
Finally, the angel bent over and ran a
finger across the cheek of the Lord's creation. There's a leak, she
announced. Something is wrong with the construction. I am not
surprised that it has cracked. You are trying to put too much into
this model.
The Lord appeared offended at the
angel's lack of confidence. What you see is not a leak, he said.
It's a tear.
A tear? What is it there for? asked
the angel.
The Lord replied, It's for joy,
sadness, pain, disappointment, loneliness, pride, and a dedication
to all the values that they and their spouses hold dear.
You are a genius! exclaimed the angel.
The Lord looked puzzled and replied, I
didn't put it there. |
