When thinking about the culture of the military and what it means to our family, it means just that, family.

This family isn't our blood, though we would shed our blood for this family. We didn't necessarily choose the members of this family, but when our service member decided to join this family, WE all became One Big Family.

As a military wife, I chose my husband, knowing what WE would do together.

WE would serve, in our best capabilities.

Him from the ship, me from the shore.

Many others have been military families as well.

Whether you are active duty, reserves, or now veterans.

The military becomes a part of you, whether you are the service member or the family supporting and serving alongside them. No one else will truly understand unless they have experienced it themselves.

 Having that swept out from under us with medical board/retirement and discharge was a huge impactful point in our life. Not only for my husband but our little family and so many other families as well. The grief alone of what was supposed to be a career brought on so many devastating emotions. Having to re-establish ourselves in the "Civilian" world was a challenge. There wasn't an actual rule book to guide us along the way. (The "class" my hubby got did not help with our reality.) There was so much confusion, so much fear, so much anxiety of the unknown.

We made it through all of that, and you can too.

I want to establish some of that same family culture that we experienced during active duty. That same brotherhood/sisterhood that we love and cherish.