It seems difficult to get people to agree on anything, but with some degree of certainty, no one would disagree that 2020 has been a difficult year. And difficult is probably an understatement.
We’re in the middle of a crippling pandemic, which has resulted in job losses, plummeting incomes, and overwhelming stress and anxiety. Post-9/11 veterans and military families have been hit especially hard by the hardships and stresses of the year.
The holiday season isn’t always joyful for all. It can be an especially tough time for many veterans and members of the military. And then along came 2020, and things became even worse, adding more uncertainty and anxiety for all.
We know, we know—the holidays are supposed to be such a special time for everyone, but that’s just not the case.
Seth Godin once said: “A group needs two things to be a tribe: a shared interest and a way to communicate.”
Which makes the United States military family perhaps the largest, most caring, and most diverse tribe in the world, particularly military spouses. Sure, the military may drop you hundreds or even thousands of miles away from your home and family, but they do a really great job of surrounding you with a new one.
This large, extended military family is your tribe, and I encourage you to love them fiercely. And
understand, they will love you back.
Carpools. Commutes. Grocery runs. All of these were part of our daily routines before COVID-19 brought us a new normal, and are simple routines that we take for granted. Even though you may not drive your car as frequently as before, imagine if you couldn’t drive it at all.
What if instead of driving when you needed to drive, you had to learn how to drive all over again? For many service members and veterans returning home and coping with severe injuries, this is a reality that makes transitioning to civilian life difficult. Many service members and veterans are unable to drive their kids to practice or drive themselves to a medical appointment. They need driving rehabilitation services, and they need someone to adapt their vehicle to meet their physical needs.
Hope has been the key to Catherine Bane’s healing journey as a military sexual assault survivor—both figuratively and literally.
Catherine joined the Army fresh out of high school in 2003, following in the footsteps of her grandfather, father, and six of her brothers. She was excited about her new journey, which began as a chaplain’s assistant.
That joy and excitement was shattered by, not one, but two sexual assaults.
Decisions, decisions!
Parents make decisions every day that impact their family. Some decisions are more complex than others, and for military families, some decisions are unique and different from what a civilian neighbor may face. For example, military families moving overseas face a tremendous amount of stress and anxiety leading up to and during an OCONUS move. And sometimes the return trip stateside can be equally tough.
Mission: Milspouse is a
501(c)3 nonprofit organization.
EIN Number: 88-1604492
hello@missionmilspouse.org
P.O. Box 641341
El Paso, TX 79904
