For years, I’ve wanted to write a book. I didn’t know what the topic would be, but I knew there were few things I enjoyed more than spending the day in front of my computer making the words reflect how I felt. So, maybe I was a writer. Maybe I was a blogger. For sure, I love being a story teller. 

In my heart, the journey to Pride & Grit started because I saw people suffering. I saw marriages failing. I saw military spouses isolated, struggling, and scared. I saw experienced military spouses, seasoned in their advice and wisdom, keeping their own struggles under wraps.   

I wanted to help. I wanted them to know that they aren’t alone. I wanted them to hear the stories of others who have walked the same paths and emerged stronger. I wanted to help them hope, love, and enjoy. 

The name “Pride and Grit” came after many failed before it. Silver Linings. Military Journey. Being Military. Grit and Glory. The options were nearly endless and overwhelming but didn’t quite tell the story. But what was I trying to do? That’s where the name lives, in the intent.

I was trying to honor the PRIDE we all feel in our Service Member. 

I was trying to show how this life can be hard but can also be amazing. I was trying to open a few windows to provide a glimpse of our struggles to our families and friends. I knew I had friends that just didn’t get it, and it wasn’t their fault. I wanted to provide stories that helped start conversations. Stories to foster hope and healing. Stories to help one person feel less alone.

And so, GRIT emerged as a keyword. 

It’s something we all possess. Don’t get me wrong, going through life married to a Service Member can be and often is amazing. Sprinkled with new adventures, new friendships, and new ways to showcase your home decorating skills. But it does require a certain amount of GRIT to thrive. And thriving should be the goal, not surviving. And far too many of us are just surviving.

Surviving this training cycle or drill cycle, waiting for the lull until the next. Surviving this deployment. Surviving this PCS move until the next one in six months. So really, what is the point of setting up a house or making friends? Some weeks, I do a little of both, surviving and thriving. But bringing a balance to others was my goal, so Pride & Grit became the vision.

While I had stories I wanted to share, above all else, I didn’t want Pride & Grit to be my story.

I wanted it to be a collective story, a robust resource. I wanted it to be a place of varied experiences, challenges, and triumphs. I wanted it to tell stories of spouses, children, and even the extended family willing to be part of the conversation.

I know I don’t have all the answers. I know I haven’t had all the experiences. I know my path is just one version of this journey. But I also know that there are hundreds of women like me, with stories to tell, insights to share.  

And so, I will continue to write, because it’s my favorite way to move through my day.  I will curate as well, adding bloggers and writers to the conversation, to the journey. I look forward to you joining me.

And now, it seems I am adding retreat host and event planner to my skill set. Planning the Evolve retreat for seasoned military spouses was never about excluding anyone, but rather to consciously say to my fellow weathered and tired seasoned spouses – I see you, I hear you, and I’ll do all I can to help you grow and thrive for as many years as your family continues to serve. 

Want to be a Pride & Grit contributor? Find out how, here.

Interested in the Evolve retreat? Find out more, here.