This month, we have several opportunities to honor the selfless men and women who serve our country: USMC Day on the 10th, and Veterans Day on the 11th. In light of these important holidays, I wanted to share something to celebrate our military heroes – not only active service members and veterans, but also the families who love and stand by them. So in honor of all who serve, here’s a list of some of the ways you know you’re part of a proud military family.
1. Your military friends are like a second family, even though you might sometimes forget which time zone they’re in, and you’re on a “last name only” basis with all your service member’s friends – and that’s totally cool.
2. You never get rid of a piece of furniture or a set of curtains even though they don’t work in your current home – you might need them in the next one!
3. You’ve used words like “Roger” and “Tracking” in casual conversation, your alphabet starts with Alpha, Bravo and Charlie, and you rarely say AM or PM when giving the time.
4. The sight of your service member in dress uniform never gets old – your heart beats faster, your eyes get watery, and you can’t help beaming with pride.
5. You know your service member’s social security number by heart, but you sometimes have a hard time remembering your zip code.
6. You have checks that feature several different addresses, your family’s cell phone numbers begin with various area codes, and each member of your family was born in a different state (or country!).
7. You keep notes so you won’t forget to mention a thing during your next phone call, email or Skype conversation with your service member.
8. You have mastered the art of packing and unpacking a house, but you occasionally find random moving stickers on your furniture.
9. You’re a master of adaptability, because planning in advance is virtually impossible. “Change is the only constant” is more than just a philosophy, it’s your way of life.
10. You might spend a lot of holidays, birthdays, and anniversaries apart from your service member, but homecomings are better than any holiday.
There are clearly many reasons to be proud to be part of a military family, and we’ve got many ways to show it – come explore our diverse selection of military collectibles, gifts and other tributes! Are you part of a military family? I’d love to know what you think of this list, or if you have any additions, so please, share your thoughts and suggestions in the comments!
As always, thanks for reading, and a very special “THANK YOU” to all the service members and military families out there – your courage and strength is truly heroic.
10 Signs That You're a Military Family by Ann Kelley