The silent ranks, holding down the home front, doing all the things. Military spouses are there, 24/7/365, providing support for their serving spouses, keeping things even keeled at home. Too often, we accept the service and sacrifice of military spouses as just what happens.
But military spouses do quite a lot to make sure that our troops can complete their missions. This May, show the military spouses in your life just how much their dedication means to you!
Celebrate Military Spouses on May 10!
Honoring military spouses is really pretty simple – mostly, just say how you feel. But if you’d like to do a little more to show your appreciation, try these tips and ideas!
Celebrate MilSpouses in Your Unit
Host a celebration event in honor of Military Spouse Appreciation Day! Plan a small luncheon, brunch or coffee social and invite the spouses in your unit. You can use the on-base MWR facilities to help plan and coordinate your event.
At your event, give away prizes and honor individual spouses for their efforts to support the unit or base.
If you don’t have the funds for an event, you could find another way to honor spouses. Send cards to the spouses in your unit with a handwritten note of appreciation. You could also share a video message from the command team on social media.
Celebrate MilSpouses in Your Home
Are you a married service member? Then you should 100% be honoring the military spouse in your life on May 10!
Try these easy ideas:
- Schedule a spa day: just a simple single treatment or a full day of pampering
- Make it a date: take your spouse out on the town, eating at your favorite places and maybe catching a movie
- Say it with flowers or plants: bring home a big bouquet of flowers or a plant to add to the garden
- DIY dinner date: make a special meal at home – then do the dishes
- Write a note: say “thanks” for all the ways your spouse makes your military missions possible in a thoughtful note
- Take over at home: give your spouse the day off, while you take over all the household details – it’ll give you a new appreciation for all they do
Mostly, just taking time out of your day to show how much you care is what’s important. Your spouse does a lot and sacrifices quite a bit to make your family’s military life as smooth as possible.
Treat Your MilSpouse Friends
Military spouses know that our biggest supports are each other. Through deployments and trainings, long nights and early mornings, your fellow military spouses are 100% there for you.
Take time on May 10 to show your core crew of military spouse friends your appreciation.
Make the day special with these ideas:
- Go out for brunch or lunch: pick a cool cafe or swank restaurant for a nice meal out together
- Host a MilSpouse night in: invite your closest pals over for a night in, complete with dinner and drinks; ask your collective spouses to watch your kids
- Have a fun night out: grab some sitters (or your spouses) and head out for a fancy dinner and drinks in town
- Drop off flowers: show your best military spouse friends the love with a small bouquet of flowers; give your blooms at lunch or leave a sweet surprise at their door
- Send a note: send a sweet card to your friends, showing your appreciation for their support and love
For some military spouses, you might be the only person to show your appreciation on May 10. Spread the love and show just how much having a strong community means to you!
Show Yourself Appreciation
Let’s be real: not many people outside of the military community even know about or recognize Military Spouse Appreciation Day. So, fellow military spouses, treat yourself to a little pampering and relaxation today.
- Enjoy a nice beverage: relax at a cafe or restaurant, even your own dining room table, savoring the beverage of your choice
- Buy yourself blooms: brighten up your day with a personally picked bouquet with all your favorite flowers
- Grab lunch: treat yourself to lunch at your favorite local spot
- Just sit: seriously, take a minute and just sit down, do nothing for a while
- Binge watch a guilty pleasure: host a tv or movie marathon of your all-time favorites; munch on yummy snacks while you watch
No matter what happens or who else remembers Military Spouse Appreciation Day, it’s important to take time to recognize the sacrifices you make for your family and our nation. Military spouses play a vital role in the success of military troops and missions.
