Have you ever made plans that you had to change because of the military? Ever had to change careers after a move to a new duty station? That’s exactly what happened to Brunella Costagliola. What she once saw as an obstacle, in fact turned out to be a trampoline that eventually led her to create MilKid MailKits.
It’s no secret that I’m a rather outgoing gal. I’m an extrovert to the core and energized by being with people. I’m not afraid to try new things and tackle a new adventure, which probably makes being a milspouse a solid fit for me.
So, with this personality set up, one might think that “having fun” comes naturally. Surely I’m the life of the party and always looking to add fun to my everyday, right?
Alas, here we are—the final chapter of our milspouse marriage advice miniseries. (Don’t miss Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3). I’ve waited until the end to share my personal milspouse marriage advice, mainly because patience is a virtue (and as a milspouse, I always need an opportunity to practice that!).
I’m not one to get fired up and rant about stuff (and really, compared to some of the hoopla we see on social media, I’m not sure if what’s coming is even classified as a rant). But, there’s one response that people give me when I’m trying to articulate the struggles of military marriage that grinds my gears:
“Well, you knew what you were getting into when you married him.”
If we based our ideas about marriage on the movies, we would undoubtedly be shocked to discover the stuff in our everyday married lives that never shows up on the big screen: squeezing the toothpaste tube from the middle instead of the end, the hazards of nearly “falling in” when going to the bathroom in the middle of the night because someone left the seat up, how the bread is never sealed with the twisty-tie but instead is spun and tucked back under… Yeah, not the romantic homecoming kissy-kissy moments we see in the cinema.
Take a quick lap around any bookstore and you will undoubtedly run into the Relationship Section. Thousands of books have been written on the topic of all things marriage…probably because it’s one of the most simultaneously challenging and rewarding life experiences to which we’re called. When we add in the “military” factor to marriage, that presents an entirely different chapter of information!
Happy New Year, folks!
If you’ve been here longer than 14 seconds, you know I’m a sucker for lists, dreams and plans. Naturally, the new year brings a great opportunity to reflect on the past year and dream for the future. It’s a perfect time to set and achieve some new goals!
Remember how last month we chatted about our fans’ favorite Thanksgiving traditions? Well, now we are shifting gears and are ready to jump into some Holiday Hooah. That’s right, we are checking out some very cool milspouse Christmas traditions! So grab that cup of hot chocolate, snuggle up, and let’s make a list and check it twice—because these traditions are all super nice!
I’m not gonna lie—sometimes in this military spouse journey, I feel like I’m making it up as I go. And sometimes, I am.
But other times, especially in moments of uncertainty or decision-making, we can turn to other spouses who’ve been there, done that. Military spouse advice can be a rich source of information.
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