“Do not covet” is just dumb, my loves. It’s like saying “Thou Shalt Not Breathe” or “Thou Shalt Not Pump Blood From Thy Heart.” Of course we are going to covet. It’s an emotion that will run through each one of us, relatively often. The issue, of course, isn’t to somehow magic that emotion out of us. This issue, my loves, is how to use it as a superpower.
Let me explain.
Welcome to a special feature on Army Wife Talk Radio! Listen to this week’s guest, Angie K., who sings “You Carry Me Too” on the featured album, “Love Lives On.”
It took a joyous, fast-paced (COVID-style) courthouse wedding to open my eyes to the importance of knowing what season of life you are in.
If military life had a season cycle, it would start in spring with the first duty station, followed by the career building frenzy of summer. All that experience and education would be put to good use in the fall and finally end in winter with the last duty station, and eventually . . . retirement.
I’m not sure where you are, but here at Fort Drum, fall starts early. It comes without much warning-—one day I’m in cotton shorts and a t-shirt, and the next, I need jeans and an oversized sweatshirt.
Some of you may find that frustrating.
Not enough time to switch the summer clothes out for the chilly weather wardrobe.
Not enough time spent splashing in the pool (But let’s be honest, there hasn’t been a ton of that this summer).
But it doesn’t have to be frustrating. Instead of seeing fall as an inconvenience, you could see it as an opportunity.
If you are looking for the American pioneering spirit, you can find it all around you as a military spouse.
During a recent luncheon with my community and spouses’ club, I had the pleasure of meeting two new Army spouses. These two ladies were a perfect blend of similar and differing Army experiences. Martha was at her second duty station, like myself, and Amanda had moved many times.
All three of us have children, and the discussion turned to the unique experiences our children have while one or both of their parents serve in the Armed Forces.
Things are chaotic… let’s bring back some order and organization! AWN Content Curator, Chrissy Gibbs, gives tips on building organizational habits.
I distinctly remember the first time my dad chose to use a moment as a teachable moment.
I’m sure there were others, but I vividly remember when I was 6 or 7 years old and had a piece of gum or a lollipop in the car. I took the wrapper, cranked down the window (it was all hand power in the old days) and flippantly tossed the wrapper out onto the street. I’m sure I didn’t know any better (it was the early ’80s after all), but my dad caught me.
Let us enjoy all things in life – including the mundane! Today AWN Engagement Ambassador Molly Ritterbeck, will navigate making the little things fancy and fun!
Picture this. Your spouse comes home from work and surprises you with news that their job is changing.
Immediately.
So, they begin their job in a new place while you and your children say goodbye to friends, neighbors, and teachers, unsure when your next face-to-face meeting will happen. You cancel your plans for your daughter’s birthday party, for summer vacation, and for your best friend’s wedding. You try your hardest to settle into a new normal, but nothing is the same and you long for the life you had before.
Pop quiz: Did you imagine this story as a military-related PCS or as the events that unfolded this past spring due to the COVID-19 pandemic?
Fear not, you didn’t fail the quiz. That stressful scenario could have easily described either situation.
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