Add this to section of your website

May is Military Spouse Appreciation Month!

This month feels a little bit different for me this year, since my husband will be retiring this fall. We are both in the process of figuring out what life after the military will look like for us.

I’ve also been thinking about how when I first became a military spouse, everything felt overwhelming and confusing.

Since it’s Military Spouse Appreciation Month, I wanted to share some of the things I appreciate about being a military spouse!

 

One aspect of being a military spouse that has been especially meaningful to me is gaining a better understanding of military life.

My grandfather was in the Air Force, and my grandparents and my mom and her siblings got to live in multiple states, and also overseas.

I was really close to my grandmother growing up, but she passed away before I met my husband.

Being a military spouse like she was, and experiencing many of the same challenges and positive aspects of military life that she probably dealt with, has helped me feel closer to her.

 

Another thing I appreciate about being a military spouse has been the opportunity to live in different regions of the country.

 

I grew up in Virginia, and never visited the Midwest before my husband and I moved to Iowa in 2019. We also had the chance to live in Texas, North Carolina, and near Washington, D. C.

Having the chance to experience so many different parts of the country has given me a new appreciation for the United States.

 

It has allowed my husband and I to explore places we may not have visited without the military.

 

I also appreciate the community I have gained as a military spouse. Last summer, I lost my job; it was an extremely stressful time, and I felt really alone.

Fortunately, I was able to take advantage of several different resources available to military spouses, such as help with interviewing and resume writing.

I was also able to connect with many other spouses who were also going through the job search process.

Having a community of others going through something similar was really helpful, because we were able to share advice and encourage one another.

Having a community of other military spouses helped me feel less alone during a really difficult time in my life.

 

 

This Military Spouse Appreciation Month, I want to express my appreciation to all of the other spouses who have helped me along the way!

 

 

As my husband transitions out of the military, I will continue to rely on my fellow spouses to help me along the way, and I’ll do everything I can to help other spouses!

 

 

*For more from Heather, check out her M:M Author page.

Author

  • Heather is originally from Virginia, and met her husband while she was working as a health educator at the Army Wellness Center at Fort Liberty. Since getting married in 2016, they have lived in Fayetteville, NC, Washington, D.C., Davenport, IA, and Austin, TX, and currently live in New Mexico. Heather has a background in health education and research, and has a Master’s in Public Health. She has worked with multiple local health departments and nonprofits, and much of her career has been spent working on issues that impact the military community. In 2019, she was awarded the Honorable Order of Saint Barbara medal for this work. She currently works for the New Mexico Alliance of Health Councils, where she is able to utilize her public health background to help people throughout the state stay healthy. She is passionate about helping other spouses navigate military life, especially in regards to health and wellness. In her free time, Heather enjoys traveling, yoga, embroidery and other fiber arts, and spending time with her husband and three rabbits

    View all posts

0 Comments

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Turn on the Hose 

Turn on the Hose 

Turn on the Hose ….At our last duty station, we owned a farmhouse on 5 wooded acres. It was our own patch of paradise, and we raised many animals there. Early on, we had some of the land cleared, fenced, and sowed grass for a pasture.

Mission: Milspouse is a
501(c)3 nonprofit organization.

EIN Number: 88-1604492

Contact:

hello@missionmilspouse.org

P.O. Box 641341
El Paso, TX 79904

 

Pin It on Pinterest

Verified by ExactMetrics