So often, when it comes to supporting our troops, we think of sending cards, letters, and care packages to our deployed service members. And, we all should, because our troops deserve and need our support year-round, not just during the holidays. But, have you ever thought about surprising the military spouse or the children with a Deployment Survival Kit?
These Kits are just as much fun to create as a care package. And, they are just as well received and are sure to bring a smile to the recipient. But, the purpose of the Deployment Survival Kit is to both encourage and uplift the significant other of the deployed service member. It is to help her cope and get through deployment; it just serves as a reminder that someone cares.
I received my first Deployment Survival Kit from a fellow military wife and my neighbor, who I was sad to say good-bye to when she had to move. My dear friend, Elizabeth, presented me with the Deployment Survival Kit just weeks after my husband had left. I was feeling rather down, and the reality of deployment and the separation was starting to hit home. When she brought it over unexpectedly one afternoon, she said that she was passing along a tradition. She, too, had received a Deployment Survival Kit, when her husband first deployed. She shared much laughter and tears with me, as I opened the contents of the Kit. And, while I was grateful for all of the items she chose, I appreciated her thoughtfulness, availability, and support even more.
I have a friend whose husband recently deployed; over the past moth, I have slowly been gathering items to put in her Deployment Survival Kit. I am looking forward to surprising and sharing it with her next week. My daughter is creating a smaller version for her children. I encourage you to create and share a Kit of your own, to pass along to a military spouse. I know it will be well received.
So, if you have never created or received a Deployment Survival Kit, I am guessing that you must be wondering what one is. Very simply put, it is a gift bag or gift box filled with inexpensive trinkets, candy, and small personal items. It is very much like a care package; its contents are limited only by one's budget and imagination. My Deployment Survival Kit contained a box of tissues, chocolate, a bottle of wine, bubble bath, and a few other items. Elizabeth placed sticky notes on all of the items, with a funny description written for each. I am going to the do the same for my friend's Survival Kit, so the chocolate won't just be mere chocolate; it will become a Piece of Sanity to Savor.
If you need ideas for what to put in the Kit- be sure to read the next post! And, if you passed or received a Deployment Survival Kit- please share your story!
God Bless Our Military Troops and Their Families!
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