It's easy to let military life define you. We want to be proud of our service as military families and the service of our spouse, but at what point does the pride jump to letting the label of "military spouse" become our be all, end all?
Not that there's anything wrong with owning military life as your own. But the thing about military service is that it always comes to an end. At some point our service member really will get out.
And what happens on the other side? If we've built our entire identity around military spouse life, who are we when we don't have that anymore to hold onto?
The 2017 Armed Forces Insurance Military Spouse of the Year Brittany Boccher saw a similar problem as she traveled and spoke to members of the military spouse world after winning the award last year. She originally set out to address the special needs community specifically. But as she listened to those around her, she realized there was a different need out there, and that she could use her platform to help military spouses find their purpose and harness their potential.
And that's how her workbook and workshop "Find Your Color in a Camouflage World" was born. Announced at the 2018 Military Spouse magazine Town Hall May 9, Brittany said she aims to inspire spouses to get out of their own way.
"This workbook will allow spouses to understand -- and I want you to hear me when I say this -- your geographic location does not dictate how you live your life," she told a crowd of mostly female spouses meeting on Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling in Washington, D.C. "I want you to hear me when I say, look at yourself fin the mirror, you are the only person standing in your way."
The workbook, which will be free to those attending workshops, is about 40 pages of steps aimed at helping military spouses find their purpose. It is interactive and step-by-step. While I'm sure the workshop would add depth to the workbook, it can also be self guided. It's also printed in black and white, which means if you're a doodler or a colored pencil lover, you can dive in with what inspires you.
"What did you want to do before you became a military spouse?" Boccher asked the group during the Town HalI event. "Look around, you are more -- every one of you. So hear that. You are more than what you think ... you are more."
Boccher's workshop website where the workbook will be available is under development, and when she announces the locations of her first few events or how to get the workbook we'll let you know. If you happen to live near Little Rock Air Force Base you can catch the first one, which is scheduled to run there May 24.
