Some of us – no names, no hints, no next door neighbors called out – have possibly crossed the proverbial “bridge too far” in our genuine effort to support our soldier, their Battalion, the Army, the military, the US of A……… right, we’re talking to you with the 13 stickers covering up the back of your vehicle (we tried to read through them all at the last stoplight but had to actually engage in driving around the seventh sticker – so now we’ll never know who or what else to support!).

We’re not against spousal support but we thought we should bring our concerns to your attention – primarily our concern that some of us – “us” being used a bit liberally here – have entered a parallel universe of dressing, walking, talking and spitting like our soldiers.

If you friends, family and commander’s wife have NOT invited you to a semi-lit room, put a plate of finger food in your hands, and asked you to join the circle of love to discuss why exactly your soldier’s company logo is emblazoned on the side of your head, you might be okay. If, however, anything previously described sounds even vaguely reminiscent of last weekend, squint your eyes and take a look down the “where has my identity gone to?” tunnel………….

1. You and your soldier can trade sides of the closet (or closets!) and nary a worry – you have something to wear as your clothes and your sweetie’s all kind of, well, match!
2. You strategically eyeball any and all cars at the new car dealership that are similar in color to your Battalion colors.
3. You actually consider ordering a magnet of your BDE insignia, that is the size of a stove, to strategically position on the hood of your car.
4. You don’t just carry a purse with your BDE crest emblazoned on it – you also own a wallet, notebook cover, diaper bag, laptop bag, children’s backpacks and a swim bag all emblazoned with your BDE crest.
5. When compiling your Christmas list, you realize that every addressee starts with a rank designation; and, when pondering this phenomena, you realize that your kids go to school with, you eat lunch/dinner with, you attend social events with, go to church with, the same people, every minute of every day of every week of every month of every year.
6. Your Christmas shopping is considered complete once you’ve ordered 38 Afghans embroidered with the Battalion crest (it’s generally for a good cause, after all!).
7. You painted the interior of your last four home in your soldier’s colors.
8. You schedule lunch dates in the mess hall to see more of your husband and a fun family outing is dinner at the post food court.
9. You bake, package and deliver Christmas AND Easter cookies for the Staff Duty soldiers, the Courtesy Patrol soldiers, the gate guards AND every single soldier in the barracks.
10. You sewed your husband's unit crest AND his top tank crew patch onto your child's jacket, long-sleeve denim shirt, and favorite sweater.
11. You actually shop for and make SOS (sh** on a shingle) for your family’s weekend breakfast.

And although we are putting these tell tale signs in writing and might appear to be suggesting a weekend in a liberal east or west coast town where the military is maligned and you must travel in disguise, Pear & Mercedes cast no stones. In fact, Pearl had to recently repaint the infantry blue entrance wall armor yellow due to her soldier’s branch transfer.