Did you watch the debate tonight? Did you cry?

Ok - here’s the thing. I’m not crazy, nobody panic. I’m fine, I swear. But I would be willing to bet that what I saw tonight was different than what you saw.

Our VP is visiting from NYC, I worked late and (as usual) Mom kept me company on my commute home. I got in and immediately turned on the debate, only in time to catch the last few comments and the closing credits…but what I watched brought me to tears. Normally, I would have ignored this portion of the debates, and opted for email, dinner and laundry (in that order)…but this time…because I was late and it was all I had (somehow feeling guilty for missing it)…I watched.

I watched as the wives waiting in the wings, joined their husband to network and “politic” the room. I watched strong women stand by their men and not just to support them as accessories, but to enable them to do their jobs, as true partners. They play a role. A very important, “in-the-background,” silent… but not so silent, role… and it got me to thinking.

For 28 years I have been all about being the woman my mother taught me to be. Strong, independent, educated and tough…. I don’t need a man to buy me a house; I will buy my own house. I don’t need a man to support me, I work and I contribute…thank you very much. I have a wonderful family that loves me and friends that support me. I am a rockstar.

And then I met Ford. And since you all know him, I won’t go into mind numbing flattery, but suffice to say – he changed my world.

But not all at once, like in fairytales…no, no…that’s not the way it ever happens, is it? He changed my world….. by not asking me to change mine. He’s changed my world, by being the first person to ever truly appreciate the “me” I was trying so hard to be. He knew my struggles, strengths and fears and signed up anyway, knowing, before I did…that the best was yet to come.

After years of being all that I could be (thank you army for the lending of catch phrase), I now find a greater good; a higher purpose, or at the very least, a peaceful calm. I may not be the star of this show, but I am proud. I am proud of my husband, I am proud of the son that he is, of the brother he is, of the friend that he is, of the soldier he is and most importantly of the man that he is. I too, support my husband – not as an accessory, but as his biggest fan, an advocate, a confidant, and a safe place to land when he is finally done saving the world.

Ford is kind of a hard act to follow….or at least keep up with. Perfect child who was never punished, hockey star, Westpoint grad, decorated special forces soldier, future medical student…..and on ,and on, and on….ad nausea. (Sorry sweetheart, its true) …needless to say, I lost him at perfect child who was never punished….but I digress….

In our married life, we’ve now been apart longer than we’ve been together (which the military will tell you is par for the course and civilians will tell you, is the secret to a happy marriage). All I know is this, I am very content to be the woman beside the man for the first time in my life, but I think it is only because of THIS man, this phenomenal, strong, charismatic, honest, fun, sincere, wise, loving man that is so amazing and easy to follow.

It doesn’t mean that I have given up who or what I want to be…. Instead, its feeling that I have met my match and am on a team, a team that is constantly motivating me to work hard and be strong, in order to give the best of myself every day, a team that I may not lead, but am damn proud to be a part of.