This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of The Folger Coffee Company. The opinions and text are all mine.

Share a Cup~A Coffee Date with my Veteran

My husband and I are big coffee drinkers.

We have spent many mornings and afternoons drinking coffee together, talking about our day or whatever else is on our minds. There is something about that cup of awesomeness that makes for sitting down, relaxing and enjoying one another.

I have always enjoyed hearing about his time as an active duty soldier. I remember when he told me about the group of guys he was deployed with during his first trip to Iraq. How going through the long 15-month deployment bonded them together, just like it did us spouses back at home. How in some ways they became family and would always have that bond. He has shared some stories about funny things that happened during that deployment, in the middle of the stressfulness that comes with being in a war zone.

After four deployments, having that time to talk together is so nice. Time to talk about us, the kids and everything we have been through. We also enjoy talking about the future, our jobs and what we hope to accomplish in the next few years.

Since we spent so much time apart during his active duty years, we never want to take time together now for granted. As our kids are getting older, spending that quality time together gets even easier. We can sit out on the porch and talk or just sit and enjoy each other’s company.

My husband left the active duty military in the summer of 2014. Sometimes it is hard to believe it has been almost 2.5 years since that day. During that time he and I have tried to figure out what our post-Army world is going to look like. He wants to find his place in this civilian world and we need to figure out how we can both make a living in order to raise our boys.

Leaving the military is never easy and can take a lot of planning and discussing. During our coffee talks, we bring up where we see our family in the next few years, what are goals are and the best way to get to them. Being able to talk like that helps me know that we are on the same page and that we are working towards the same things.

Thinking about where we have been and where we are going is exciting. Life can be funny and you never really know how everything is going to work out. I am enjoying being on this road of life with my husband and going through everything we go through together.

Veterans Day

With Veterans Day approaching, we need to be going beyond a simple thank you to our Veterans. Sometimes Veterans can be a little uncomfortable with hearing, “Thank you for your service,” over and over again. We need to be recognizing them and listening to their stories, no matter when they served. We should also be sharing stories of the Veterans we know in our own lives. They all have a story to tell. About how they came to be a service member and what they are doing now that the Military part of their lives is over. Asking a veteran about their time in service is a great way to show that you care.

Folgers and Walmart have the opportunity to inspire shoppers to go beyond the customary “thank you” by illuminating Veterans in the local community and encouraging meaningful moments that bring people together.

Folgers and Walmart have a very special “Share a Cup & a Story” promotion going on right now. They want you to take the time to listen to the Veterans in your life. To spend some time listening to their stories and to hear what they have to say. We can all learn a lot from what the Veterans in our lives and community share with us.

I am excited to be working on this post for Folgers and to share a little bit about me and my Veteran.

Walmart is the place to shop for Folgers coffee!

The other day we went to Walmart and I bought “Classic Roast.” One of our favorites. We always make sure we never run out of coffee and Walmart is a great help with that. You can find Folgers coffee at your local Walmart in the coffee aisle.

Head on over to Walmart and learn more about the Share a Cup & a Story program!

Do you share stories with your veteran over coffee? What is your favorite morning drink?