Military spouses keep a plethora of skills in their back pockets: making a hotel room a home for a month, doing four months’ worth of paperwork in a week, and cultivating friendships from afar. The last skill on the list is from overseas PCS’s and years of being stationed far from home. During COVID-19, the ability to give “social distanced” love has become priceless. Here are what some military spouses are doing to spread love during this time.
Joy Mail
Joy mail is regular mail, with a dash of happiness. Inside, put glitter, flower petals, or a gift card to a drive-through. You can cover the letter in stickers or washi tape. Most people only get bills and spam in the mail. Can you imagine receiving a surprise letter describing the incredible things your friend thinks of you? Joy mail is an easy way to make someone’s day. If you want to be fancy, you can buy wax and a seal stamp to make it official.
Door Boxes
Ding Dong ditch has taken on a new tone with door boxes. A door box overflows with goodies: wine, chocolate, and sometimes a card of encouragement. Drop off pizza, or a themed movie box, to uplift your friends. The boxes can be a one-time deal or make it a pass-it-on movement. Find ideas online, or you write your own and start door boxes at your base! Lauren Richelle is a military spouse who right at the beginning of quarantine did a “Cookie Ninja” day with her kids and made cookie boxes to “Ding Dong Ditch” at their friends’ houses.
Van Chats
If your friend isn’t overseas, but local, open up the back of the minivan! Sit six-feet-away in the trunk of your cars, and enjoy seeing each other. Driveway chats are also a great option! Just remember BYOB – Bring your own blanket! Kate Sherry, a civilian spouse, shared, “We played Hide-n-Seek Cars with our friends. You establish boundaries in your city/town, and one car drives to a location, and then sends a group text clue to others. You can give a new clue every five minutes until the other cars find you, ending with car chats and laughter.”
Although separated from our friends, whether due to long-distance or social distance, there are many ways we can nourish our friendships and let our loved ones know we are thinking about them during this time.