Military Spouse Network
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Saying “I love you” isn’t very difficult, but it can prove to be an issue when your spouse is deployed and communication isn’t easy. If you can’t talk on the phone every day, you might find it hard to communicate your love on a regular basis.
So the next best thing is to get creative with the methods through which you say “I love you.” Here are several creative things you can do from the home front that serve that purpose.
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Deployment is a large adjustment for a couple. The military service member might usually have had certain responsibilities at home that the spouse must now undertake. Because deployment is a change, some spouses might decide to keep the household as similar as possible to normal, but others might choose to do things differently.
Whether or not spouses have children, deployment is a time when habits and behaviors tend to change temporarily, both out of necessity and out of choice.
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Start thinking Autumn: the best care packages are planned & shipped early!
Yes, I know it’s only mid-August, but I noticed several bright red leaves on my maple tree this morning. Since the best care packages are usually planned in advance and shipped with plenty of time to spare, now might might be a good time to talk about autumn-themed care packages.
There are 3 good themes that run through the autumn season that are just right for care package ideas. Now’s the time to start picking things up so you are not rushing at the last minute or spending too much all at once.
Christine Lay’s husband, Andrew, just returned home from deployment. She is pictured here with her son, Jamey.
When Christine Lay’s husband came home, she described the feeling as “amazing,” if she could even put her excitement into words.
You might know Christine as the mother whose son, Jamey, received a service dog from Veterans United Foundation. But there’s a lot more to this military spouse. Her husband, Andrew Lay, returned home in July to El Paso, Texas, from deployment after being away for nine months.
Although she said their relationship grew stronger because of this challenge, it wasn’t always easy maintaining a sense of normalcy at home.
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Military spouses endure a lot of challenges living the military lifestyle. Some obvious ones include deployments, PCSs and constantly changing circumstances. Beyond the day-to-day, some spouses have to deal with the additional challenge of assuring their spouse they are invested and willing to hang tough in the face of uncertainty and often trying times.
It’s not always easy, but it’s always worth it. Here are a few ways you can express solidarity and work to ensure your military spouse knows you’ll always be there for them: See More
Keeping in touch during a deployment can be difficult for military families. Members of the Navy, Marines and some Special Forces units are especially limited in their communication abilities and you may feel like there is no way to contact them in case of emergency.
Thankfully, the American Red Cross has a dedicated service to connect military families in times of emergency even when service members are stationed on ships, at foreign embassies or remote locations. See More
A deployment may top the list of challenges a military spouse must face. The distance, the safety risk, the sporadic, often delayed communication, and everything else that comes with an assignment isn’t easily understood by most people.
Unfortunately, that doesn’t stop people from claiming they understand as they try to counsel you. When Military Spouse Central, hosted by Veterans United, inquired on facebook about the most hurtful things military spouses have heard, an overwhelming number of responses mentioned things said about deployments.
You knew what you were signing up for. Get over it. My husband goes away on business trips all of the time. You must think about him dying all of the time.
Sound familiar? These comments can be hurtful and frustrating, but there are ways to maintain your mood as you approach the challenges of distance. See More
They say distance may make the heart grow fonder, but they fail to mention that distance can let the romance squander just as well. Being romantic can be extremely difficult across thousands of miles, especially for a deployed spouse stuck in the middle of a war.
The communication may be minimal and sporadic and the time spent waiting in between can lead to stress that ruins what time you do get to talk. It may be difficult, but it isn’t impossible.
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During deployment it’s important for families to use both old and new methods to maintain connections with military members.
To ease the transition, families should have a communication strategy prior to deployment. See More
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