Interview with an Army Wife Mrs Ritu Gurveen Datta - The Truth beyond what's apparent

              The real Army Wife's Life 

( Kandhon Se Milte Hain Kandhe, Qadmon Se Qadam Milte Hain
Ham Chalte Hain Jab Aise To, Dil Dushman Ke Hilte Hain 
( Ab To Hamein Aage Badhte Hai Rahna
Ab To Hamein Saathi Hai Bas Itna Hi Kahna )...
Ab Jo Bhi Ho, Shola Banke Patthar Hai Pighlana
Ab Jo Bhi Ho, Baadal Banke Parbat Par Hai Chhaana

Being an army wife is the toughest thing, It's not for the weak hearted. As an Entrepreneur and an Army Wife myself, We face million challenges and I am very honoured to share my very first Army Wife Interview with Mrs. Ritu Gurveen Datta. Today Ritu shares with us her life and challenges that takes place being an army wife. I repeat my sentence - 

 "BEING AN ARMY WIFE IS NOT FOR THE WEAK HEARTED"

·        Tell us a little about yourself. Your profile and your life.

I love to always start with me being from an army background, and when I say that, I mean it by every word as, I am the 5th generation. Like any fauji kid, I had the usual honor of having an education in the various Army Public Schools of the country. To my credit I hold a humanities and an MBA. The decision to get married to an Army Officer was always mine, as I have dreamt of it since childhood. Saw my husband , to me just like my father, standing tall and strong in the country’s uniform.

I love reading, painting, surfing the internet, doing decorative stuff, giving décor ideas.

·        Pls share your achievements with us, eg -  Award, Certificate, Experiences where you won any championships, any experience with sports. If you are a player. Done any charity etc.

 The places that Army takes us , leaves us with not much choice of doing such things.

·        What were the biggest adjustments you had to make regarding your relationship, family and schedule during deployment?

 I am a firm believer that, what has to happen will happen in its own time. So that makes me very hopeful during times my husband is on his duty away from me, and rest of the safe world. These hardships and separations have made our relationship only grow stronger with every passing day.

The only adjustment that I had to make was, with heart, of making it used to not seeing my husband everyday in the morning. You’ve got to be okay with your husband missing all the special stuff like birthdays, holidays, anniversaries, or gasp….the birth of your child (I pray not in my case).

You’ve got to be okay with putting your career on the back burner sometimes because moving all over the place and maintaining a career isn’t as easy as it looks.You’ve got to be okay with moving half way around the country from your family.You’ve got to be okay with letting go some of the control in your life because God only knows the Fauj  is going to make some big life decisions for you.(even planning baby)You’ve got to be okay with parenting alone and feeling lonely sometimes.You’ve got to be okay with making new friends over and over and over again.You’ve got to be okay with spending as much of your marriage apart as you do together.You’ve got to be okay with finding the positive in the midst of really, really hard.You’ve got to be okay choosing happiness in the midst of some really challenging circumstances.

·        What is the hardest part about being an army wife

 There is nothing hard being an Army wife, only you yourself can make it hard for u and him. Other ladies say separation, but I say, even take that in a positive stride, and the results would only be beautiful.

Ladies might also call things like… permanently moving, starting over n over again, changing kid’s schools, looking at new jobs,etc as being hard, then I would say, Mrs X you have not seen hard (Have an interview with a war - widow). Army is a beautiful and a noble profession which calls for a selfless duty, being a wife, we should be proud of it. Army wife are more confident , elegant, smart, talented compared to non army wives.

·        From whom do you get support while he’s gone?

 My biggest support is my family, esp my parents, and my inlaws. They have been through the same, so they need zero understanding as to how I am feeling. No words to be spoken, and they know.

·        What have you learned about yourself and your relationship throughout the process of deployment? Do you think your relationship became stronger because of it?

 Many many times stronger. But that doesn’t mean, that our relation requires deployment of some sort. No one does, its only heart breaking to see your life walk out that door, and pray it comes back. As my mother (Ex fauji wife) always used to say to me “'Hope for the best and prepare for the worst”. One thing is for sure, Army is going to operate their way whether you like or not, so we have to learn to be flexible.

·        What advice would you give other military spouses in your position?

 Just be with him all through like the best thing that ever happened to him was you, and everything else would follow.

The military is not a job, it's a lifestyle. The needs of the Army always come first." So try to look on the bright side and see the positives of this lifestyle. As Army wife"Life, especially military life, is all about perspective. So make the best of it and enjoy the adventure."

      Share how can anyone being an army lookout for prospering career options, what are the best career options available ?

For any Amy wife , career is never an option or the last thing she will ever think of. But the hope to stand on your own feet should never die.

Pls subscribe to read more motivational and real life brave hearts here on my blog. You can directly mail me at priyankas.secret@gmail.com

Take Care,

Dr Priyanka Krishnan