Why are military spouses celebrating LOVE in August? According to Bree Carroll, they picked the day August 14th because it lands six months after Valentine’s Day as another unique opportunity to celebrate love!
It is no secret that the military community faces higher rates of divorce with the stress and strain of military life. The recent Blue Star Family Military Family Lifestyle survey reported “time away from family” is still one of the top issues among active duty service members, spouses, and veterans.
Marital and relationship issues are also listed as one of the top 10 stressors impacting military families. Now add the added stress of a pandemic, being far away from family, and the military regularly changing guidance and schedule for service members. It makes the challenges we are facing today even harder.
I know for me when my husband suddenly stopped traveling and was home a lot more than normal we had to adjust to what that meant for our family. And just when we found a good rhythm that worked for us, everything changed again. One thing you can always count on in military life is change and adapting to whatever is thrown at you.
Staying connected and building a strong relationship as a military couple is difficult. But it is not impossible. And that is why Bree Carroll, Corie Weathers, Maria Reed, and Maxine Reyes teamed up together and are doing something to help. They have also garnered support from military leadership and are excited about focusing on military marriages.
They decided to create Military Marriage Day. The inaugural celebration is happening on Friday, August 14th. They were inspired to do something with all the challenges people are facing during 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic changed so many things about our daily lives, even how we connect with family.
Why not set aside a day and focus on your marriage and the one you love? Celebrating your love and marriage six months after Valentine’s Day in a way probably a lot different than what you experienced just six months ago.
Experts believe that due to COVID-19, the divorce rate will rise due to the quarantine impacts on relationships. To help fight this expected outcome Military Marriage Day will celebrate married couples currently serving or who have served and their commitment to each other and the ideal “we are stronger together.”
There are four pillars to Military Marriage Day. They are celebrate, connect, grow, and build because it captures the heart of what the holiday is all about. They recognize military couples to uplift them and show that these marriages are valuable and make a difference. Military Marriage Day creates the opportunity to reconnect and grow your marriage, which ultimately builds to a stronger marriage.
Ways to celebrate include planning a date night, special outings, or exchanging gifts or tokens of appreciation. Those who wish to work on their marriage may schedule counseling services or participate in a conference or seminar focused on strengthening marriage. Married couples are encouraged to celebrate in all ways that are meaningful to them.
Do you want to participate in Military Marriage Day? It kicks off August 7th with a week full of live chats, giveaways, and bonuses. You can learn more about this event and sign up to participate here.