Neither of us anticipated marrying into the military. We didn’t anticipate sleeping alone for months while our spouse was overseas in a war zone being blasted all over the news. We didn’t anticipate it being months (or even years) before certain family members got to meet our children. We didn’t anticipate the thoughts that would creep in when we moved to a brand new town, knowing no one and struggling to meet friends all while trying to secure a new job.
We also could have never anticipated the outpouring of love, support, and overwhelming generosity from the people in our lives as we navigated the uncertainties this lifestyle presented.
It’s the people like you reading this post that remind a military spouse just how capable and resilient they are, but there is nothing worse than knowing someone you love is going through a tough season and being unsure how you can best support them. Pair that with your loved one being thousands of miles away and the options for support really become limited.
This post is a collection of ideas from military families on ways their loved ones showed them support when they needed it most. Everything from a quick 5-minute phone call to a visit to their current duty station, we’re sharing all of the good stuff!
MAIL A CARD
Snail mail always tells the receiving party that you thought about this act enough in advance to make it happen, bonus is if you use the nice, customizable websites out there to make your own card with pictures of your favorite moments together to remind them just how loved they are.
SEND OR DROP OFF A MEAL
It’s one less thing they have to worry about, this is a great option during deployments or for families with lots of little mouths to feed. I’ll never forget when my parents sent me dinner for my birthday and then FaceTimed me so we could enjoy the meal together while my husband was deployed. Now it’s even easier than ever with options like UberEats and DoorDash that you can have something local delivered right to their door with a few quick clicks in an app!
CALL, TEXT, OR FACETIME
It doesn’t have to be daily or for hours on end, just sending a quick text to let them know you’re thinking of them, or making it a point to FaceTime during dinner so they don’t have to eat alone if they don’t want to, can really turn a day around if their spouse is gone or they’re just dealing with a lot of change.
SEND A CARE PACKAGE OR DROP OFF SOME GOODIES
Fill it with their favorite things (cough cough, WINE) and send it yourself, or opt for an option like BrightBox that will definitely bring a smile to their face. You can also support a military spouse or vet-owned business by sending a care package offered through Spouse-ly, seems like win/win if you ask us!
HIRE A BABYSITTER OR OFFER TO BABYSIT
Imagine being home with your kids, thousands of miles from family support while your spouse is gone for 6+ months…enough said, hire that tired parent some help for a much-deserved night off duty. Did you know it’s possible to do this even from a distance with sites like UrbanSitter? Just navigate to their gift card page and click purchase gift. You will have to sign-up for a free urban sitter account but once you’re logged in you can fill out the details (gift card amount, recipient information, and an optional message) on their purchase page. Easy as that!
Want to gift them more than one night? You can use the code SUMMERCARE30 to get 30% off a monthly or annual membership for a user. Code expires June 30, 2021
GIVE THE GIFT OF CAFFEINE
Treat them to a coffee brand you love or send them a $5 gift card to a local place they can pick up a latte, it’s a quick way to turn a dreary day around. If you’re looking for a way to support a servicemember during a deployment, you can gift them an order of veteran-owned Black Rifle Coffee for not just them, but the people they’re deployed with. With code BULKBUYBRCC27 you can get 25% off of any order of $100 or more.
SEND A BEAUTIFUL BOUQUET OR SENTIMENTAL GIFT
Nothing reminds someone that you are thinking of them more than a gift they can see over and over again! There also has got to be some sort of scientific study done on how surprise flowers increase serotonin levels…any scientists out there to confirm? If you want to do a little something more than the standard bouquet, check out Farmgirl Flowers!
There are also beautiful sentimental gift options out there like Charliemadison Originals, they offer beautiful bracelets specific to military families with sweet sentimental meanings that we’re confident will make them feel your love every single time they see it.
BAKE OR SEND SWEET TREATS
Not a flower person? There are so many great sweets companies out there that ship nationwide! Hello, Jeni’s Ice Cream!
GIVE THE GIFT OF SELF-CARE
While the military spouse you are supporting would probably rather spend some self-care time with you, a treat to a mani/pedi, a gift box from Lush, or local massage goes a long way!
SPOIL THEIR KIDS
One of the hardest parts of being a military mama is raising our kids away from “our people”. We do our best to teach them about you and virtually build that relationship with you but feeling that reciprocated towards the kids just turns us to straight mush. Sites like Hug-a-Hero offer dolls you can buy for kiddos with their servicemember’s picture right on them to help through a deployment or long training that takes them away from home. You can use code AIRFORCE15 to receive 15% off of the entire order you place!
GO VISIT
When we polled our WAF community, this was the resounding #1 way to support a military spouse. Number 1. Go visit. Go see where they have had to start life over. Meet their new community. We want you to be a part of our new lives!!
At the end of the day, we are thankful to have you in our corner. And if you are reading this as a family member or friend to a military spouse then you are already one of the best! We are grateful to have you in our lives, cheering us on, and keeping us grounded.
