You might have read that title and said something like, “Whoa. I don’t want to deep clean all year!”
Slow your scroll.
What I mean by “spring cleaning” is less about ridding our homes of physical things and more about letting go of negative thinking.
(However, if you’re like me and getting ready for a PCS, it could be a thing to consider!)
I don’t usually have New Year’s resolutions, and going into 2021, I don’t still have them.
Instead, I’m going into 2021 with an intention: positivity.
What do you want to achieve in the new year? Are you looking for a new career? For inspiration? For peace of mind?
After an unprecedented and challenging year, we are all looking for positivity in 2021. At the USO, a nonprofit organization supporting service members and military families for almost 80 years, we want to help military spouses embrace the change and hope of a new year. Through a series of virtual events, we can help military spouses focus on their dreams while staying safe during the ongoing pandemic.
Well, most of it, that is.
It seems that no matter who your ears tune into these days, someone somewhere is sharing their story of sorrow and distress. This year has really done a number on a number of us.
My bishop, for example, was put on life support, my beautiful baby girl had to be tested for COVID-19, and close friends of mine lost loved ones. The stories go on and on. But even amidst all of this chaos there is hope, good news, and, yes, even blessings.
You don’t need me to tell you that 2020 has been the year of all years, and I doubt you need me to describe the myriad changes we’ve experienced. But while this has been a year full of darkness for so many, there are a few things I’d like you to reflect on before year’s end to find a silver lining.
In my family, we do this by using advent candles. The tradition is to light a candle on each Sunday for four Sundays leading up to Christmas Eve. We lit our first candle on Nov. 29 and will light our final one on Dec. 20. Each candle symbolizes a different moment of reflection, something especially important in this year of hardship.
In a quote attributed to Theodore Roosevelt, he said “Comparison is the thief of joy,” and during a season of life where many of us have been at home, feeling disconnected from family, maybe spending more time on our devices than we usually would, I think this is an important thing to keep in mind.
While Roosevelt didn’t have computers, television, or cell phones to occupy his attention, his quote has only become truer as time and technology has evolved.
Happy autumn, AWN! Whether you spent the summer navigating the uncharted waters of a pandemic PCS or spent it having socially-distanced BBQs, we have finally crossed the threshold into autumn. Now is the time for cooler weather, pumpkin patches, and cozy chats around warm fires.
But as the ever-pragmatic Ned Stark used to say, “winter is coming.”
Under normal circumstances, winter brings to mind the joys of the holiday season and spending lots of time indoors living our best hygge lives. Unfortunately, 2020 has been anything but normal.
Today’s episode features Dr. Tommy Black as he talks about the Esteem App. Esteem helps families navigate through emotional and behavioral challenges.
Project Healing Heroes founder and CEO Lt. Col. (Dr.) David Tharp discusses the organization’s mission of empowering trauma resolution for our nation’s heroes.
Self-care doesn’t always come easy for military spouses. We tend to put other people’s needs above our own, rarely taking the time to do what refuels us. Say goodbye to that, though, because the days of neglecting self-care are gone. Now, more than ever, we need to take care of us. Yes, others too, but also ourselves.
Why?
COVID times are hard. Military spouse life is hard. Solo-parenting? Also hard. And if we’re going to conquer these crazy times, then we’d better practice a little self-care.
But how?
Mission: Milspouse is a
501(c)3 nonprofit organization.
EIN Number: 88-1604492
hello@missionmilspouse.org
P.O. Box 641341
El Paso, TX 79904