Some Love for the Military Spouse
Packing up to move away from your family for the first time, seeing your spouse off on a deployment, finding your way around in a new city. These are all typical events in the life of a military spouse. And while they are not always easy, we do it, and for the most part, we do it well. We do all we can to support our spouses and though we don’t expect anything for our sacrifices, there is a day of appreciation, National Military Spouse Appreciation Day.
A little history
First celebrated May 23, 1984, Military Spouse Appreciation Day was first proclaimed by President Ronald Reagan. This day is now celebrated annually on the Friday before Mother’s Day. On this day we take a moment to recognize the sacrifices that military spouses make. Though we are not on the front lines, we are there to provide support to our troops and that is incredibly important.
Spouse to spouse
I personally appreciate military spouses more than I can put into words. I have met some amazing women that have helped me through so much. I appreciate the camaraderie that spouses develop, across all branches. We are there for each other when our spouses are deployed and when we are in a place away from our families. I have friends all over the globe that I know I can count on to be there for me.
I will never forget when we moved to Hawaii. My husband was deployed a week after arriving on the island. Our car arrived a week after that, and didn’t know anyone but needed help getting a car. A fellow spouse, that I had literally just met, offered to drop me off at the vehicle pick up center. As soon as she left they brought my car up and the engine turned off and wouldn’t start! They got it to run long enough to get me less than ¼ miles down the road and it turned off again. Panicked, I called my new “friend,” she turned around, bought a gas can, filled it with gas and brought it to me. We filled my car up and she agreed to follow me home. Once we got onto the highway my car once AGAIN turned off! Sitting on the side of the highway in a new state somehow wasn’t as horrible because I had a fellow spouse sitting behind me. We eventually got my car towed and she took me home but I could not have done all this without the support of this amazing spouse, whom I appreciate so much! There are many other stories like these from over the years. My appreciation for military spouses runs deep!
Military spouses are amazing and resilient people, and they should be celebrated all year long. Thank you for all that you do!
There are many events that take place to celebrate the military spouse. Keep an eye out at your local base for luncheons and other spouse appreciation events. Know this isn’t the only day that spouses are appreciated. There are actually seminars and spouse days, that until recently I wasn’t even aware of. Check with your local MWR and see what events they have planned.
If you have any questions or need guidance, please contact me at: cmcgowan@milspouseadvocacynetwork.org
