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Rights of Passage
We all likely remember our first move in the military. Filled with doubt, excitement, adventure, and fear- we learn to navigate the new community, acronyms, and the importance of that ID card. In this raw interview, Claire Wood shares her story that she recounts in her book: Mission Ready Marriage: My Life as An Active Duty Wife. Claire could not be more vulnerable as she shares the anxiety of leaving everything and everyone she knew to start a new adventure with her husband as an Army Wife. Deployment was tough, but reintegration was tougher. Many of us wish we had the guts to be as honest as Claire is as she shares her confusion with wanting to be reunited with her soldier, but struggling with the independence required by spouses during deployment. In Claire’s fantastic book, she not only tells her personal story, but includes reflections on what she and her husband needed and how God has brought purpose out of her challenges and victories. You will not want to miss this one and you will definitely want to share it with someone who is going through their first deployment and reintegration.
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The Village
One of my favorite things about the last year has been the number of spouses I have spoken with in every season of life. I have thoroughly enjoyed the multi-generational village we live in. It has been very interesting for me to also hear the concerns that each generation has about our community. There are values, opinions, and frustrations that each generation has about where our community has been, where it is now, and hopes for what it can be in the future. I can tell you that our oldest generation, those that are possibly in retirement, were part of a time when there was little to no support for spouses and their families. In response, this incredible generation built the much needed support they needed. Overtime, the military valued their efforts and backed it with the finances and programming that we now have today. On the contrary, the youngest generation has been raised on the convenience of the digital world where most of their connection is with those they have already established relationships from a distance. Our culture is going through a generational shift. Our roles are changing and some of us don’t even realize it. In this podcast, I talk about the benefits of our village and help you see just how valuable of a role you play.
