Blogger Biography: For two years, Alisha has been the proud wife of a member of the U.S. Air Force. She writes about daily life, love and learning within the military. She and her husband have a 2-year-old black lab who makes their lives joyful every day!
We’ve all been there. You meet someone new and you mention in passing that your family is a military family. The person you’ve just met immediately tries to identify with you in some way. They usually mention someone in their family who was, or is, in the military. I’ve begun to love hearing these stories because people get a sense of pride in their voice when they talk about their military family members. They tell you all kinds of things — where they went overseas, which war they fought in, major milestones they achieved or even sometimes the sacrifices they had to endure. But the sense of pride and brotherhood is always there.
These people show their appreciation for what your family is doing by sharing their own experiences with you. When I realized this, I began to see these stories in an all new light. I love to hear them! I also get the opportunity to express my appreciation for what the generations before us have done.
And then something fantastic happens. This stranger and I have established common ground. We can identify with each other and also still learn from each other’s experiences. This is something I love about being in the military community. It’s the unspoken bond that we all share. When you meet other military spouses, you instantly feel their pain and their reward. No matter how many times it’s been said, the idea that “We’re all in this together” will always hold true. And the more people we meet, the bigger the support network we gain. It’s such an asset to have! And it starts with recognizing when others are expressing their appreciation for what you do, and paying it forward by expressing your appreciation for someone else’s service.
Even when our time in the military has long since completed, I know I’ll still value those connections with other spouses. And I’ll be sure to be the one sharing our experience with people I’ve just met!
