Farewell to Thee, Blithe Spirit

Here follows yet another little speech, this time given for the DCOs (deputy commanding officer) spouse of Fort Knox upon her departure to Fort Lewis. She and her husband set a wonderful tone of mentorship and fellowship while there were here, we will miss them, and I'm saving this more for me than anything else.

Lhoryn, first we're going back to when you and Pete were first married and you had to leave Georgia. I picture you sounding like Ruth of old and saying something like this:

"Entreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee, for wither
thou goest, I will go, especially to Garmisch; and where thou lodgest I will
lodge, no matter how small the kitchen. And thy people shall be my people,
and soldiers and spouses!"

And so you began your Army journey, which eventually brought you back here to Fort Knox. I knew right away that we were kindred spirits. You know and love Army traditions. So of course you know and love every corny Army spouse poem that was ever written, as do I. And that's why I couldn't use any here today, but I had to come up with something on my own to convey just what you have meant to all of us this past year. I was trying to think of an appropriate word that would describe what you helped build here at Fort Knox, Lhoryn.

It's more than community, which is folks living in a particular area and sharing common interests, though we certainly have that. No. But it's more than that. It's more inclusive than family, although one of the lesser known definitions for family is a unit of a crime syndicate operating within a geographical area, and I think Knox Hills or the Leaders Club might call us that!

We do have a wonderful fellowship which is described as a group of people united by certain convictions or a common affiliation, but again, still that word is not adequate. No, I think what you gave us is a feeling of sisterhood, that old southern sorority, that special group that forms to build a network of support. Yes, sisterhood, that's the word I was looking for. And the way you did that was just to simply care for us in countless ways.

This was a whirlwind of a year and you were at the vortex, helping, nudging, suggesting. Thank you, thank you for sharing your heart, your home, and your gift of selfless service. Fort Lewis is one lucky post. We will miss you, but you have left us with a very special legacy . . . name tags that stick!

There's no need to get misty eyed, because as Shakespeare's sonnet on friendship reminds us:

All losses are restored and sorrows end,

If I but think on thee, dear friend.