August 1st is National Friendship Day, and as military spouses, we make so many different friends throughout our time at various bases and places. Here are five types of friends you might make during your duty station!
The “You Too?” Friend
You lock eyes across the room at the Family Readiness Center’s welcome gathering. You heard her talking about your favorite fandom, and you have a gut feeling you’ll be fast friends. Whether you stay friends forever or just for that base, knowing your ‘You Too?’ friend isn’t moving in two months helps forge a tight bond as you navigate a new base together.
The “Our Kids Are Friends” Friend
Sometimes, finding friends gets put on pause when adjusting to a new base. Luckily, kids are willing to make friends with anyone they meet on the playground, and their parents are usually around. Playdates are easy ways to meet up and have a casual friend. It’s a double bonus if your spouse likes their spouse. Then it’s time for a big family dinner with everyone over to the house to play games.
The Emergency Contact Friend
The kids are going back to school, and you just moved to your new base. Whether it’s through posting on the spouses’ page looking for friends or knocking on your neighbor’s door in base housing, you meet a new person. Will you become real friends? Maybe. Maybe not. But for now, you know them just long enough to make them your emergency contact in case you’re out of reach while your child is throwing up at school.
The Squadron Friend
Whether it’s the holiday party or a Friday afternoon cookout, your squadron friend is the one who knows the ops-tempo you deal with and is a friendly face. Whether the Key Spouse or simply in the know, this friend knows the best restaurants and places to explore.
The Forever Friend
Whether you started as squadron friends or as “you too?” friends, you are together through thick and thin, even continents away. You pray your future station assignments will let you live in the same city again, but Facetime and phone calls fill the gap until then.
This National Friendship Day, may you tell your friends you appreciate them, and remember friends come in all sorts of varieties, some for a season, a reason, or if you are lucky, a lifetime.