I’m as big a fan of The Beatles as any, but as of late, I find myself wondering if the Fab Four ever met a real life military family before writing that all too popular tune!

Love is all you need.

Well sure, love is a mighty important part of keeping a relationship afloat, but as a military spouse, you need a whole lot more than just love to keep the sub from sinking.

Certainly take those five words as a great base stock to the recipe, but here are a few others I think we all agree can be added to the mix. All You Need Is Love; and…

Patience: To wait out those ever-late PCS orders and long deployments

Understanding: To know that your service member has very little say over what they will be asked to do

Strength: To face much of life on our own during trainings and tours of duty

Kindness: To connect with and help your fellow military spouses through hard times

Humility: To know that your service member’s first priority is serving their country, even if that means you rank second

Drive: To do the job for two, even though you are only one

Sensibility:  To go with the flow

Resourcefulness: To fix what that flow has broken

Faith: To ensure that they will come home each day unharmed

Bravery: To answer all of the questions you’ll undoubtedly receive from the outside world with your head held high

Pride: To let your service member know how much you value their sacrifice for country and family

Fortitude: To keep on loving

You need love, and a whole lot more, to make this military spouse life all that it can be, but take it from those shaggy haired 1960s blokes: “There’s nothing you can do that can’t be done… nowhere you can be that isn’t where you’re meant to be. It’s easy!”