Prepare Yourself and Your Spouse for Military Retirement
Article originally published on Independent.com For “old school” folks, who like paper calendars, 2023 might bring something new and important – a special date, circled, stared, hearted, or otherwise celebrated on the family calendar. It is the date of our Service Member’s transition or retirement from military service. A date when you stop being an active-duty […]
Moving the goal line in a 20-year military career
When we started dating, I was a young professional: driven, focused, and successful by most 27-year-old’s standards. My then-boyfriend was six years into a potential 20-year career in the Army. I was beginning to understand what our relationship might mean and how it could change the future I’d planned for myself. It was clear that, […]
Three Ideas to Improve Your Military Marriage
Military marriages exist in dog years. A five-year military marriage passes in a blink, feeling more like two-and-a-half short years. And yet simultaneously you feel like you’ve learned enough about marriage, about hard, about love, to rival the average 10-year marriage. You experience double the growth in half the time. Thirteen years, seven moves, four […]
Three Reasons To Meet Your Military & Family Life Counselor!
What feels like a lifetime ago, I was sitting in a Battalion Steering Committee meeting when an older gentleman introduced himself as our new MFLC – Military & Family Life Counselor. It was 2009. I listened to his elevator pitch and learned about the relatively new program. Apparently, we’d be seeing him around now. He […]
The Voice of the Military Spouse: It’s Never Been Louder
It hit me a few weeks ago; times are changing. We, the military spouse, are the reason. And I’ve never been prouder to be associated with a group of people. In 2019, military spouses are testifying before Congress in record numbers. Spouses are organizing petitions. Spouses are sought out by members of Congress, who see […]
Five Ways To Support Your Military Spouse Friend, Even If You Don’t Get Their Life
While the days of back-to-back-to-back deployments have waned a bit in recent years, ask any military spouse and they will tell you that the OPTEMPO – or Operational Tempo of their service member’s unit – or how busy they are – isn’t exactly one of late mornings, early evenings, and consistent family dinners. We remain […]
Being Strong Isn’t More Important Than Being Honest
If you’ve recently experienced a miscarriage this may hit a little too close to home. It may also be just what you need to hear. A bathroom. I found out I was pregnant in the middle stall of a dirty bathroom in the base gymnasium. I’m pretty sure I was on the verge of hyperventilating. […]
The Story of Pride & Grit
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, […]
Why I Chose A Boy Over My Career
As I walked (paced really) along the patio of my condo, I relayed my decision to a friend and colleague. I wasn’t going to apply for the job. The words took my breath away. It was the job I was already doing, a job I knew I was qualified for, a job that would boost […]
Why I View Our Separations As A Gift
Number five, CHECK! Though still many weeks away, I can’t escape the quiet excitement at the thought of wrapping up another deployment. This weekend, I found myself thinking that as much as I don’t enjoy being without my husband for nine months, I can’t help but be grateful for a few blessings these months have […]