Dear Friend,
Welcome to April! I am particularly optimistic at this time of year. The flowers are blooming, and we are enjoying glimpses of warmer weather to come. As an optimist, I hope for the best possible weather each day and dress accordingly. Unfortunately, this system leaves me chilly most mornings and late afternoons.
In some ways, I have a similarly optimistic outlook on the experience of military spouse professionals. Over the past few months, we have presented positive aspects of the military lifestyle. While these are important, they only tell part of the story. This life is also filled with obstacles. Career balance is hard if not impossible at times, and often spouses sacrifice professionally in tangible and intangible ways. We started this organization out of necessity. According to a recent MOAA study, 90% of female military spouses reported being underemployed. This statistic is staggering and demands our action.
This month, we are introducing two military spouse professionals who represent the circuitous and sometimes uncertain career path common to many military spouse professionals. Accordingly, Ebb and Flow is our theme of the month. These spouses are in diverse professional fields, yet they have both invented and reinvented themselves; they have both stopped and started their careers; they have both balanced careers, service, children, moves, and deployments; they both serve as examples of what is possible and as reminder of the challenges we face.
Throughout the month, we will share video clips of our featured spouses, Mica Alexander and Teena Hester. Please follow their stories, and be inspired by their success and reassured by their difficulties. The resiliency of military spouses may perhaps be our greatest asset but it is to our deficit, if it prevents us from acknowledging the problems we face and working tirelessly for significant and meaningful resolutions.
Thank you to those who have supported our efforts thus far; we are very grateful. If you haven't done so already, please help us do this important work by donating to our
fundraising campaign. Real change will come through collective effort and action.
Warmly,
Lynn Waidelich
