The Friday before Mother’s Day is Military Spouse Appreciation Day. It started back in 1984 by President Ronald Reagan and was declared to be celebrated on May 23rd. This date changed over time and is now observed the Friday before Mother’s Day each year.
Why is Celebrating Military Spouses Important?
There’s a difference of opinion when people explain that military spouses serve too. While, I don’t agree with the term “serve” because we did not take an oath, nor wear a uniform, I believe the word “sacrifice” fits better.
We “sacrifice” many things in this life. We put our dreams on the back burner so our spouse and family can come first. We “sacrifice” the idea of having a normal life because military life is anything but normal. We “sacrifice” family vacations, making plans in advance, birthdays, anniversaries; you name it-all for the sake of love and honor.
We proudly stand next to our spouses through the happy, sad, & tragic times during their careers. We wrinkle from months of worry while they are deployed and stress from handling it all and more on the home front while they are away.
We put our big girl panties on (and big boy undies for male milspouses), wipe the tears from our eyes, forge a smile, and still make time to volunteer to make our communities a better place.
We see problems we want to fix, so we start our own businesses with that in mind to make our communities and the world brighter and easier for those who stand where we once did.
So today and every day, thank the spouse behind the scenes in the shadows. They are doing amazing things that usually goes unnoticed. They “sacrifice” while their spouse “serves.”
Military Spouse Appreciation day is about acknowledging spouses and letting them know you see them. It’s about recognizing them as a person with an identity beyond being married to a service member. It’s about lending an empathic ear and showing compassion to the unique and ever-changing lifestyle they all have to acclimate to on the drop of a dime. It’s about telling them they are cherished, appreciated, and admired for the strength they continue to develop on a daily basis.
Happy Military Spouse Appreciation Day! Thank you today and every day military spouses! You truly are #morethanamilspouse and don’t you forget it!
© Strength 4 Spouses LLC, 2018-2023
Hi there. My name is Wendi. Thank you for stopping by. I an an Army spouse, Beagle mom, mom to an angel son in heaven and an adorable little boy earth, blogger, freelance writer, Instructional Designer, and volunteer. I have a background in adult education, and have earned a Master of Arts in Instructional Technology as well as a Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Education. My hope is that you will find strength, resources, and inspiration through the Strength 4 Spouses blog. Join me on Instagram and Facebook for an added dosage of inspiration and authenticity about the military lifestyle.
