When military personnel deploy to a new assignment, the families and spouses of those troops are left at home to try and piece together a life based upon waiting and watching. When a friend is a military spouse, you can offer a helping hand and encouragement to help her keep going as she raises her children and keeps a household on her own. Small, daily acts of kind service may be all that she needs to keep going for another day.
Step 1
Celebrate special events and holidays with your friend. Christmas and other holidays can be a lonely time with his spouse gone, so invite him over to celebrate with your family. Plan a party for Military Spouse Appreciation Day, decreed by President Obama to be celebrated on May 7 each year, notes the U.S. Air Force. Let your military spouse friend know that his sacrifices are appreciated.
Step 2
Show patriotism, even if you don't agree with the various wars and campaigns that her husband is participating in. Just because you don't agree with the war doesn't mean you can't appreciate the sacrifice that those in the military are willing to make. Avoid debating the wars with a military spouse; she may believe that you don't appreciate her spouse or support his tour and service in the military.
Step 3
Prepare freezer meals and bring them to your military spouse friend. When his wife is away, doing all of the cooking, cleaning and child rearing can be exhausting. Letting him know that you support him and want to lighten his load may be just what he needs to get through another day of being separated from his spouse.
Step 4
Offer to take her children a few nights a week. Without the daily support of a spouse, a military spouse likely has little time for herself between taking on the duties of both parents. Offer to babysit so that she can go shopping, peruse a bookstore or even have a night of video chatting with her spouse without any interruptions.
Step 5
Make a simple phone call to thank a military spouse for what he and his spouse are doing for the country. Express your appreciation and let him know that you are available if he needs to talk, needs a night off or anything else. The daily drudgery and busy life of a military spouse could benefit from an interruption of praise and encouragement.
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