For the first time ever, I’ll be enjoying Christmas Eve free from assembling toys, wrapping gifts, tiptoeing around my own house and staying up way past my bedtime. This is the first …
Topic: Managing Stress
Navigating College Admission Letters
Soon, college letters will hit students’ inboxes and reveal what’s ahead for the next few years. It’s an emotionally confusing time for everyone, mixed with pride, wistfulness, excitement and anxiety. One way …
Being Resilient Is More Than Being Strong
The word “resilience” is a dirty word in the military community. Too often, it’s used as an unhelpful band-aid to cover the challenges of military life. Military spouses are told it will …
Military Life on the Outskirts
I knew it was in the works, so it was absolutely not a surprise when my husband copied me on an email about a U.S. Marine Corps separation brief. But, in the …
What I Learned When I Left My Service Member Home With the Kids
For the past two decades, while my husband was serving in the Marine Corps infantry, I spent a lot of time taking care of our five children by myself. We were never …
Summer Slowdown
The Summer Slowdown When the Marine Corps moved us from the fast-paced grind of the Washington, D.C., area back to the slow-paced coastal Carolina life, I felt my blood pressure drop at …