It’s hard to know where to begin when counting my blessings as a military spouse.

If I had to choose, I would start with community.

Whether it’s community right outside your front door or community thousands of miles away, as a military spouse, you always have community.

There are countless others going through similar moments, feelings similar “feels”, thinking similar thoughts.

Even on the days you feel like you are the only one in the world, I promise you, there is a community there, ready and waiting to help pick you up and brush off the dust to get through whatever “it” is (this time) together.

I’ve had community that was literally there to catch me when I fell, as well as community that was there to pick up the phone no matter the time when I was in a place that my local community really was a lack thereof.

Community is what you make it. If you choose to build it well and nurture it, you will always feel its presence.

Second, I would have to say, as a military spouse, our family has the gift of security.

Yes, there are the quite frequent threats of government shutdowns and the uncertainty of when your hero will and won’t be home as well as the possibility of career-changing injuries looming in the distance.

However, in the end, we have a level of security that many civilians have never experienced in their lives. We know, unless something drastic and unforeseen happens, our hero is gainfully employed.

And when that income isn’t enough, there are systems in place to help cover expenses. Especially those that are vital for them to continue showing up.

I admit, this gift is sometimes hard to see or acknowledge.

Yet if we really lean into all the chances afforded to military families, we can feel the stability.

I have been gifted with an education I never thought possible as a military spouse.

Yes, my hero transferred some GI funding to me, however, I have only had to use a minor portion of that because of all of the scholarships I was awarded as a military spouse.

The thing is, these scholarships are just sitting there, hoping someone will apply for them. More often than not, MilSpouse scholarships are under-applied for, leading to those that do apply having a guaranteed scholarship.

They sometimes end up with a larger award than was originally granted due to the lack of applications and the organization’s financial obligations. 

I think the last, and best, gift of being a military spouse is opportunities like this.

There are so many ways for us to reach out and share our voices with other military spouses. Yes, most of them are unpaid.

However, the impact that can be made on another military spouse who is touched by your experience is priceless.

We often don’t realize that all a fellow military spouse might need, in any given moment, is to know they truly are not alone by learning of another MilSpouse’s story. 

I have been invited to participate at events in places I would never have dreamed simply because I had the title of Military Spouse.

Whether your gift of the title of “Military Spouse” is freshly unwrapped, weathered and worn, yet still precious and cherished, or has been retired to a shelf as a fond memory, the gift of being a military spouse is a singular experience filled with new gifts to discover if you only keep your eyes open.

*To read more of Manda’s posts, check out her M:M Author page or reach out to her at her The Healitary Spouse.