Engage. Educate. Encourage. EMPOWER.
There are traditional Christmas carols, and then there are military life Christmas carols. Enjoy this fun twist that applies to our every day circumstances as servicemembers, milspouses, and military brats!
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Yes, you read that title correctly. Thankful Through Deployments. Seriously? What, in all of the deployment training, preparation and packing, family separation for six, nine, maybe twelve or more months of tour, and the reintegration back, is there to be thankful for?!
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If you walk into a military family’s home during a PCS, you will find a good portion of their belongings squished into Ziplock bags, or stuffed into large, plastic totes. These items are an absolute necessity to keep liquids from leaking, and objects to remain clean, protected, organized, and maybe even color-coded. I sincerely love Ziplocks and totes! I can’t imagine my life without the use of them…because they are not only a necessity during our PCSes, but they are also still a part of my daily life.
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I love how when you are in the military long enough, friends from past duty stations start circling back around to you. Though I’m not an avid social media user, I am thankful to have it. At times, it’s the only way I’ve discovered where old military friends land again. And sometimes they land with me…or near me….or I travel near them…or some interesting situation brings us back together.
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I miraculously survived a road trip recently, where I, alone, took my four children to visit family and friends. We traveled through eight different states, stretching roughly 2,810 miles (not including the miles in between to pull off and use the travel potty, take an off-route break for gas and food, and visit extra family and friends outside of the main destinations) and we took 18 days to do it all.
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Independence Day never seems quite right unless I attend a good ‘ol downtown parade. We haven’t had opportunities to attend any in the past several years; but, this year, I heard about one in a nearby town that supposedly was this town’s “thing.” It’s a big to-do, drawing in thousands of people from all over, no matter how hot it gets. I was going to have to attend as the solo parent with the children, so I debated whether I wanted to fight the chaos and heat. But I remembered how much I enjoyed Fourth of July parades as a child, and I wanted my children to experience the same joyful events.
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“Hi, I’m new.” I can’t keep count on how many times I have said that in my married life. I’m sure you can relate. As a servicemember’s spouse who has moved numerous times, you find yourself in many new circles. You make introductions and small talk, it comes around to you, with a little hand raise you chime in “…and I’m the new one!”
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I remember the first time a kind woman came up to my husband in uniform and thanked him for his service and sacrifice, and then turned to thank me too. We were in our second year of marriage, and I hadn’t yet heard that from a stranger. I was caught off guard – – taken aback that someone would turn to recognize me, just a normal woman standing by her serviceman’s side. I felt very undeserving.
I wasn’t the one in uniform.
I wasn’t the one sacrificing.
I wasn’t the one serving.
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Purple is the color of royalty and strength,
Dandelion flowers bloom and adapt at great lengths.
You radiate the essence of these pillars and more,
They represent how special you are, for much more is in store.
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