Somedays, deployment feels like death by depletion. The to-do list is unapologetically behind, my beautiful children are acting like squirrels that stumbled into a pixie-stick factory, and my ability to cope left alongside my spouse. The days drag on and I am pleading with The Lord Almighty to let me make it to 8:00 (the sweet, sweet time for sleep).
It is on these days that I need a little “pick me up.”
Living in “survival mode” has a tendency to make me wear terribly thin and, on such a day, I was gifted with a Brave Crate.
What is a Brave Crate?
Brave Crate sends a box of curated self-development and personal wellness products that allow military spouses to shift focus away from counting the days and onto setting goals, to finding a bit of joy. The hope is that military spouses can conquer the deployment countdown and meet their spouses at homecoming as the strongest and most resilient versions of themselves.
Our Brave Crate day:
My daughter came running into the living room, holding a bright bag. Inside, was a hot pink box of happiness. She jumped up and down with anticipation. There is not much like getting packages in the mail at her age (or mine). We opened it together, squealing uncontrollably. This moment alone was precious.
When I opened it up, there was a welcoming note attached in the roof of the box that read “Your Deployment Countdown Starts Now!” The tissue paper inside was sealed with a sticker that offered the sweetest encouragement of “Deployment is tough. You are tougher.” My daughter smiled up at me as she shredded through the paper to see what was in our box of goodies.
Each box is themed, and this box was themed “Flying Solo.” Inside, we found a Heidi Swapp photo journal, gourmet popcorn, a cross body phone case, some super sweet air fresheners, and a selfie stick. The full-size products inside would be amazing enough, but my favorite part of the Brave Crate is the “challenge” on the back of the welcome card. Printed on the back were suggestions of pictures to take and a coupon code for free photo prints. This challenge coincides with the Heidi Swapp photo journal that came in the box. It was a great suggestion to capture fun family moments.
What a fantastic idea, a subscription box for military spouses trudging through deployment. I had first heard of Brave Crates through Lizann Lightfoot, The Seasoned Spouse. I loved the concept of supporting one another, or even ourselves, through creating an opportunity for joy. Sometimes, joy during a deployment can be hard to come by. Having something to look forward to can make all the difference. Deployment doesn’t have to mean depletion. There can be moments for development, for growth.
If you are in the midst of a deployment, treat yourself to a Brave Crate. Create space in this season for fun, for chasing dreams, and for thriving. If you aren’t in a season of separation or deployment, maybe gift a Brave Crate to someone who is. Not only is this product a personal favorite of mine, but the founder is a military spouse that is truly passionate about inspiring others towards growth and resilience.
Meet Becky Hoy.
Before I received a Brave Crate, I had the opportunity to connect with this radically supportive and dynamic military spouse. I loved hearing her heart for military spouses everywhere, how she viewed deployment as an opportunity, and how she hopes to share encouragement with others through Brave Crate. Becky is a seasoned army spouse who lives with her husband in Pennsylvania and Brave Crate was born out of an idea that deployments can be opportunities. She was creating an “encouragement” box of sorts for a friend, to help her pursue personal development and growth during an upcoming deployment. Unbeknownst to her, this idea would be the prototype for Brave Crates. She says deployments don’t have to be empty and meaningless. They can be opportunities that stretch us, grow us, and shape us into more resilient members of the military community.
A few days later, after my husband had deployed, Hannah came poking through my office looking for our Brave Crate. She wanted to spend some time together, creating the photo journal from pictures she had snapped before her dad had to leave. We shared the delicious Poppy popcorn that was in the box while we scanned through pictures, placed stickers, and talked about happy thoughts. What a sweet way to bring connection and shared moments. Times like this make me truly thankful for spouses like Becky and their hearts to help others build beautiful moments of joy and peace. Learn more about Becky and Brave Crates here.
Megan Brown is a seasoned military spouse, military missionary, and homeschooling mother of four. She lives in middle Georgia with her husband, Keith, and their energetic kiddos. She is a Bible teacher, speaker, and freelance writer. To learn more or connect with Megan, visit www.meganbbrown.com.
