What Military Spouses Are Hoping for in 2017

2017! That year feels like the future but 2017 is less than a week away. Are you ready? I think I am. 2016 has been quite the year for our country. A lot of things have happened and there will be a lot of changes in 2017.

At the end of every year, thinking about what you as a person has accomplished can be a good idea. You can look back at your year, remember what worked, what didn’t. Look at how you did on your goals and resolutions and think ahead about what you want your new year to look like.

As military spouses, we could be up against some pretty big challenges in the new year. We might not even know what the new year will bring. We could be hoping for PCS orders out of a duty station we are ready to leave or we could be waiting to hear the news that our spouse is coming home from their long deployment.

As the military spouse community looks ahead, we are hoping that 2017 is a great year and this is what we are hoping for…

For Good Communication

Good communication is so important. Whether we are talking about communicating with our spouses during a deployment or we are talking about communicating with them at home, after they return. Being able to talk to our spouse is a big deal. If we can’t do that, the relationship will suffer. Sometimes it can be hard to get back to talking again after time apart. Do what you can to work on this part of your relationship in the new year.

For Short Deployments

Deployments are all a part of military life. For a lot of us spouses, we know they are going to happen. But do they have to be so long? Maybe 2017 will bring another deployment but we can hope that that deployment is not quite as long as the previous one. And that our spouses get to be home with us a little more in the new year. Some military spouses haven’t been through a deployment in a while and see one on the horizon. This can be scary too. Having your spouse home for a long period of time is a treat, and getting ready for a deployment after that can be a bit challenging. Try to figure out how you are going to get through that deployment and know that you are not alone in what you are feeling about the upcoming deployment.

For PCS Orders

For those who have been living in the same place for a while, you might be hoping for PCS orders. Those orders that officially let you know it is time to go and move to a new duty station. May you get those orders quickly and that they will not change after you have invested in a wardrobe based on the climate of your new duty station.

To Make New Friends

Making new friends isn’t always easy. Whether you just PCSd somewhere new or your friends from 2016 are getting ready for a move. Try to put yourself out there, go to meetings and go to events. Do what you can to be a good friend and see what happens. Remember, sometimes making new friends can take a long time.

To Be More Patient

Military life is all about patience and I think we could all use a bit more. Whether you are waiting on orders or something else, the more patience you have, the easier the waiting is going to be. How to get more patience? That I don’t really know, but patience is something all of us wish we had more of.

To Futher Our Personal Goals

I don’t care who you are, you have your own personal goals, whether you talk about them or not. Your goals might be to declutter that closet you keep ignoring or to update your resume and start applying for jobs. Make lists. Figure out how you will get to your goals. Adjust and get creative. The new year is a good time for this.

To Read More

So many military spouses want to read more. So make time for that. Start listening to audio books while you clean, join a book club and carve out 30 minutes before bed to read. There are so many great books out there and getting lost in a book is a good way to deal with a bad deployment day.

To Be Healthy

New year, new weight loss goals? I know I have them. I want to eat better, lose weight and become a healthier person overall. Think about what your goals are and how you will achieve them. You can start going on a daily walk, you can join a gym or learn new recipes to help you eat a bit healthier overall.

With 2017 just days away, what are you hoping for? What would make 2017 a great year for you?