For the Strength
Note and Disclaimer: Of course, nobody here owns M*A*S*H. Enjoy!
Sometimes, I'd like to see the flip side of the coin. War brings millions to the table, but nobody really looks homeward to those who have to wade through life alone. People are left behind to clean up the fiery mess and to find a way through the ashes. I would say that this describes Mildred Potter perfectly.
It was her upbringing that made her so tough and weepy. Mildred came from a hard school. Her parents were farmers and only knew how to survive. She knew that she would not cry over every slaughtered animal. She had to stand up to the teasing somehow though. Other than her parents picking on her for being so teary-eyed, her family and many peers did too.
But Mildred stood tall. She chose to keep strength beside her. Without it, she would be lost. It was easier for her to hold up to the harsh words. Behind closed doors though, it was a different story. Strength allowed her to release her inner emotions and to cry alone. She will begin the next day with a smile on her face.
As she grew older, strength also gave Mildred the ability to shine. Also part of her community, she attended church gatherings, town meetings and the occasional court hearing (for entertainment purposes of course). She also brought care packages to the boys heading over to Europe. At the time, the US was at war. She was twelve and happy to bring relief to someone leaving for foreign soil. But when her eyes set upon Sherman Potter, a sixteen-year-old runaway, the rest, they say, is history.
Strength gave Mildred the ability to talk to Sherman. It also held her when he decided to continue their friendship, from letters to meetings. After the war, this transformed into a warm relationship and then a courtship. Even though Sherman chose to go to medical school and remain in the Army, Mildred had strength on her side when he proposed to her when she was nineteen. She accepted, knowing the consequences, and took her vows with strength next to her.
It was a difficult life. They moved from base to base constantly. Eventually, Mildred had enough. When the children came and her life revolved around their needs and the home, she put her foot down. Strength told her that they had to settle in one place. They could not live the life of gypsies. Luckily, Sherman agreed. They bought their own house in Hannibal, Missouri, close to family, and she remained there with their daughters. If Sherman had to be stationed elsewhere or go overseas, so be it. It was a sacrifice she believed was worth it.
But deep in the night, especially when Sherman was not in the US, Mildred was scared. There were many nights when the other side of that bed was empty. She was handling everything all at once. But she also had strength. Sherman depended on her for many things. Keeping the home fires burning was one of them. She would make their home a welcome place and count the years until he was home…
After the Second World War, Mildred thought that Sherman was done playing soldier. He was getting up in age. Although a full colonel and expected to command, he was nearing retirement. He was wary of war and sought to spend his remaining years with his wife.
Mildred was angry when Sherman was sent to head an M*A*S*H unit in Korea in 1951. He was three miles from the front lines. It revolted her. Sherman was supposed to spend the rest of his Army career with her, dammit! She had been waiting for years for hold him nightly, to enjoy the grandchildren with him and to swing on the front porch as their mortgage became a memory. The Army had no right to take him away again!
But they did. For the remaining two years Sherman had, Mildred counted the days. She used her remaining strength left. It was all she could hold onto. These dark days meant that she heard from him via letter alone. They met a few times when she was able to fly out. But it was never the same. Her only relief, the one thing that bolstered her strength, was knowing that Sherman had a family in Korea. He wrote pages about the people he commanded and how worthy they were to be a part of his life.
After her war, Mildred finally was granted her wish. Sherman retired and they were reunited. But life after Korea wasn't as Mildred imagined. While Sherman held back all he had seen, he was bored. She accepted that his was a life of service and allowed him to take a job at a VA hospital. It meant moving away from all she knew, but she was his wife. Strength was all defined her.
There were few years left to them, she knew. Mildred was going to make the most of what she had though. Sherman may have dedicated his day hours to the soldiers coming home, but at night, he was still hers. It filled the void in her heart and gave her more than strength. There were no more tears.
I am Death though…and there is always a way to me. Mildred Potter was a strong woman. Not only had she navigated a hard childhood, but also a life full of loneliness and impossible tasks. Luckily, she has found that she could live without her husband, but it was a huge cost. Strength held her through and will continue to do so until her body gives up the ghost. It just won't be for much longer now.