The military decided to plant me in Mississippi back in November 2015. Plant? Why, yes. As military spouses, you may have been offered the sage advice to “bloom where you’re planted” at least once or twice before. How do you measure how much you’ve bloomed or if you’re even budding?

It’s probably not in a plant’s nature to pass judgment on its own growth. I can hardly imagine a tree considering how tall, straight, or strong it’s grown. The flowers don’t wonder if they’re pretty, and the fruits and vegetables don’t care if they’re ripe. But, at the same time, these plants keep on blooming and growing.

Military spouses are obviously not plants, and if I had to guess, judge their own growth on occasion. It seems to be part of human nature.

What if we all just went along our way like the plants though?

They’re blooming and doing just fine. Wouldn’t it be nice to not worry about or analyze your own growth, but to have others shower you with their evidence of your progress?

I happen to feel lucky as I prepare to leave Mississippi these three years and four months later.

I’m lucky because I was given that external proof of my growth.

Yes, the military planted me here. Yes, I believe things happen for a reason and, therefore, believe there’s a reason I ended up with the job I held while here.

Maybe the reason was the people who would wind up being willing to watch, help, and celebrate me as I bloomed.

Holding my job for just over three full years is a huge feat in my milspouse playbook. It’s more than that little statistic that I’m going to remember about my work in Mississippi though.

I’m moving forward to our next adventure remembering that I was truly appreciated here.

I wasn’t just passing through or passing time. I know this because people cared enough to tell me.

With sincere gratitude, I have exemplary tokens of my growth to take with me and encourage me as I prepare to uproot and bloom somewhere new. Beautiful smiling faces of my co-workers in photographs, recommendation letters, a PowerPoint memento built by my boss, a journal with heartfelt and handwritten goodbye notes, and spiritual encouragement gifts—I’m being sent on my way with the knowledge that, yes, I bloomed while planted here.

That’s not all, though.

I’m being sent on my way with the honest belief that I can do it all over again (probably more than once in this military spouse life).

To my fellow milspouses, you’re blooming, too, and someday, I hope you’re blessed with the recognition of your growth. That appreciation will carry you a long way.

To my wonderful friends at William Carey University, thank you for showing me how I bloomed and encouraging me to bloom on. Working with you all was the best garden I could have landed in.