Warriors for Healing – A Pathway for Coping with PTSD

It was December of 1999. My son had just turned two years old. He was my entire life. The only soft spot I had left. I was dying of stage four cancer from exposure to depleted uranium years earlier while on the front lines of the Persian Gulf War. My back was broken...

Seven Reasons to Rent Your Ball Gown

After over fourteen years as an Army spouse, I did something new and rented my ball gown for the very first time. I loved the whole experience and would definitely do it again. Here are seven reasons why you should rent your next ball gown. It saves money. We’ve had a...

How to Escape the “I Have it Harder Than You” Trap

Have you ever had a friend complain about her husband being gone for a week on a business trip while yours was deployed for a year? Have you ever felt like you and a coworker were equally pressed for time only to find out she was getting nine hours of sleep every...

Five Ways to Cope With PCS Envy

Moving is hard. But sometimes, it’s even harder not to. That’s how it feels to me anyway. I have zest for the part of military life that many other spouses dread beyond all other – the move. I blame this irrational need to constantly have my life in boxes on having...

Retreat Wish List

Spending a long weekend with the rest of the InDependent team was truly inspiring. We all have a passion for healthy living so we were able to learn a ton from each other in just a few days simply by observing each other’s habits. We all came away with a list of...

Growing InDependent: Healthy Looks Good On You

“I just want to be healthy,” Meg said, gently placing her hand on her pregnant belly. Her message resonated loud and clear with the four friends who surrounded her at the InDependent leaders’ retreat in North Carolina last weekend. We spent four days in the...