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Friday, May 7, is Military Spouse Appreciation Day. Show the essential mil spouses in your life just how much they mean to you! On this day, the nation will honor and salute military spouses for their unwavering dedication to keeping our country safe. Military spouses help keep military families united and strong. LMH wants to thank all of our military spouses for their service, commitment, and support to our country.
How to Show Military Spouse Appreciation
If you're looking for the best way to show your appreciation for the military spouses in your life, why not create a care package for them? Just like care packages for forward-deployed service members are excellent reminders of home, military spouse care packages can do the same! Or, celebrate the military spouse in your life by offering to help lighten their to-do list or give them some time to relax.
What you put in the gift ultimately depends on the person who will receive it. After all, no two military spouses are the same. Here are some great ideas to get you started.
Subscription Boxes
Who doesn't love a surprise in the mail? Subscription boxes are a great way to remind the military spouses in your life that you're thinking about them, and when you choose boxes that military spouses own, you're helping support the community as well. Here are some of our favorites.
If your mil spouse friend is going through a deployment or preparing for one, why not gift them something that will help make the separation a little easier? The Brave Crate subscription box is a deployment countdown box. Your mil spouse will receive a package that helps speed up the deployment countdown each month. The boxes are full of items to help your mil spouse focus on self-care, personal development, and finding ways to deal with the distance that deployment creates. There's even access to a private deployment support group, too! Each box comes with four to six full-sized products and monthly challenges to help military spouses stay focused on the countdown.
With travel still stalled for many parts of the world, the military spouses in your life might be itching to go somewhere new. You might consider sending them a trip to the beach – through the mail! Saltwater and Sand is a subscription box owned and operated by a military spouse. The box is seasonal and ships every three months, or you can send a one-time box. Inside, your favorite military spouse will find gifts inspired by the beach. It won't replace a "real" trip to the beach, but it might help make your military spouse feel a little more relaxed.
Heartfelt Gifts
If subscription boxes aren't your thing, you might explore what Spouse-ly has to offer. With products ranging from home décor to jewelry to services, there's something for every military spouse in your life. Even better, the site is operated by a military spouse, which means the site is carefully curated for and by military spouses. It also means you're doing your part to keep the military community strong from the inside out.
Or, you might consider gifting your favorite military spouse something they can keep with them, no matter where the military sends them. There are so many cute ideas on Etsy for home décor options. Or maybe gift them a visit to a coffee shop in a mug. Include their favorite hot drink and a fun mug. Keepsakes are always an excellent idea for military spouses. When so much changes so often, it's a welcomed reminder to have some things that remain the same.
Acts of Kindness
Of course, there are plenty of other ways to show your appreciation that doesn't involve spending money. Every military spouse has their own way of facing the wild ride that comes with military life. Think about all they've seen and experienced and look for gift ideas from that perspective. For example, if your favorite military spouse loves to curl up with a good book but hasn't found the time, maybe offer to watch their kids for a bit so they can have some downtime. New military spouses can always benefit from having a mentor – if you know a new spouse, consider imparting them with some words of wisdom.
The Importance of Military Spouses
Military spouses are often overlooked in military events but are indeed the unsung heroes and the backbone of the home front. Spouses take on many different roles – from teacher to financial planner to chef to unit event planner, and so much more. Military spouses volunteer, provide peer support, and go above and beyond to ensure unit readiness.
America's military spouses are the backbone of families for mission readiness, during deployment, reintegration, and so much more. Military spouses are often asked to give so much of themselves, and the role can be challenging. From frequent PCSs to volunteering their time, being a military spouse is so much more than just "being married to someone in the military." It is a commitment, a lifestyle, and a decision that each spouse makes when they marry into the military, bringing with it its own sense of duty, honor, and patriotism.
Military Spouse Appreciation Day is celebrated on the first Friday before Mother's Day. President Ronald Reagan established the day of honor when he issued Proclamation 5185, and since then, the day has included events around the country.
Celebrating Military Spouses at Lincoln Military
Today and every day, we salute our military spouses for all they do. From volunteering to reinventing their careers to being caretakers, confidants, peer advisors, and more, LMH sees what you do, and we appreciate it.
Current LMH residents can expect a treat from their local teams. Spouses in the Mid-Atlantic region are being treated to a virtual spa night that includes goodies shipped right to their homes. The Southwest Marine Corps region is partnering with Maria Reed, host of Moving with the military, to launch a makeover contest for a resident's home in Twentynine Palms. San Diego, Fallon, El Centro, Lemoore, and Seal Beach residents will receive a gift delivered to their homes by the LMH Community Services teams.
Join the Blue Star Families Military Spouse Appreciation Day virtual Town Hall. The event will feature keynote speakers and a lively and engaging discussion about being a military spouse.
From everyone here at LMH, our sincerest and most heartfelt thank you to all of our military spouses.
