Judy has a heart not only for her fellow military spouses but for the entire military community. She serves as a motivational speaker and blogger by helping others balance their military lives in a way that is forward moving. Her laid back personal style is not only motivating, but it's real and makes a difference in the lives of those she touches. She speaks on topics of stress relief, thriving in the military, deployment strategies for success and many more.
6 years ago Judy's husband of almost 21 years chose to leave corporate America and serve his country, and Judy jumped right in. She sees the needs of other spouses and connects them to resources that will improve their lives both at home and with their soldier.
So much could be said for this amazing women, and I hope you will consider her as a deserving nominee as Military Spouse of the Year.
Judy is one of the most inspirational, strong and giving women I know. She helped my brother Geoff (her husband) realize that he was happiest when he was a soldier, and it was Judy who guided him towards re-enlisting after the age of 40! Even knowing it meant relocating her teenager children to a new state to support Geoff, Judy did not hesitate. Now, facing a second deployement and much family change since, Judy has become a voice of support for all military families through her blog, her speaking engagments and volunteer work locally.
Judy has a way about her that translates the worry, stress, unknowns and lonliness that comes with being a military spouse into a positive force. She is vocal, and encourages other spouses to speak up. She gives voice to the small annoyances and the large issues facing military families. She is not afraid to fight the system, and at the same time she is a strong advocate for our armed forces, and shares in the pride of those who serve and their families.
Judy's blog is called The Direction Diva. She strives to help readers direct their everyday, and not-so-everyday challenges into a positive force. Her writing is more than identifying a silver lining -- its about acknowledging the ups and downs of military life while finding motivation to better life in the process.
I truly believe that if Judy were named Military Spouse of the Year, she would reach many people in need of support, and will be a positive advocate for all that other military families are facing.
While I believe Judy would deserve the title of Military Spouse of the Year simply for the way she supports her husband and strengthens the spouses around her, it's her outreach that impresses me most. She has a way of reaching out and relating to military spouses so they become stronger and feel better about their lives. When Judy speaks to a room full of people there will be laughter and tears but, most importantly, there is understanding and action. Judy's method of speaking and writing touches people in a way that lets them find their own path, whether they're working through a difficult situation or looking for more in their life. She believes we can all move forward and she shares that belief along with the action steps in a way that inspires others to join her on the journey to a fabulous life.
Judy has been an amazing source of inspiration in my life. She always has an uplifting word. I met her right before my husbands first deployment and she was one of the women who helped me find a positive way to make it through. Each day is a gift and Judy helps so many military women realize the importance of a positive attitutde and letting our husbands know we are here for them and strong for them.
If I had to use 1 word to describe Judy it would be selfless. Anytime I have needed help with a project or suggestions on how to make a good idea better, Judy set aside time in her always busy schedule for me. Anytime I have interacted with Judy I am left with the feeling that she believes in me more then I believe in myself. I feel Judy is the type of person only looking to be greater in her own life by helping others see and be all they can be in theirs!
Our story is a bit different than the typical military family in that we chose to leave our lives in corporate America over 5 years ago so my husband could re-enlist in the Army after a 19 year break in service. We love being a military family and look forward to the coming years and all the adventures that await us.
I have my own business and work from home as a motivational speaker, professional blogger, coach and author that specializes in helping military spouses move Beyond The Logistics to make the most of their lives. My book Beyond The Logistics is due to release in 2013.
On a personal note, I have been happily married to my best friend Geoff for almost 21 years and we live at Ft Carson in Colorado. We have 2 amazing adult children, a son-in-law that makes me laugh and a grandbaby that lights up the world!
Connect with people,spending time camping in the mountains with my soldier and hanging out with my 2 adult children, son in law and granddaughter as much as possible.
Yoga, chocolate and red wine (in no particular order :) )
Gossip, judgmental people, intolerance and rudeness
Military Spouses are being asked to support their service member in ways as never before. While there are resources available to help them handle the logistics of military life, the reality is that they need more. They need the real scoop on issues that matter. They need to understand how to deal with their service member and the changes that military life throws at them, and they can’t do this unless their needs are being taken care of.
Being MSOY would give me a unique opportunity to support the military community in a more powerful way and provide each spouse with tools, information and perspective they can use to improve their lives as military spouses. In doing so, we will create a community that has a common language and similar coping skills; a community that supports one another; and a community that is so strong that soldiers are better able to focus on their mission without being distracted by issues within the family.
If I am elected as this years military spouse of the year, I will work to insure that every spouse has what they need to handle the changes and challenges that this life brings with it, and I hope that you will give me your support and allow me the opportunity to fulfill this mission.
If I could go back in time I would go to the moment that my spouse took his oath to rejoin the military after an almost 19 year break in service. At the time I was “going through the motions” trying to figure out the logistics of transitioning from our lives in “Corporate America” to that of “Military Dependents”. I want to go back to that day because I realize now how much I missed because I didn’t “get” what we were doing. I didn’t “get” that my husband was taking an oath for our entire family nor did I understand the sacrifices we would be asked to make or the honor that we all would feel when we made them. For us being a military family is about giving back and making a difference, and I wish that I had understood that from day one like my husband did.
The military provides many great resources for navigating the logistics and daily administrative needs that our community has. However I have found that military spouses continue to struggle with those details and other issues because their physical and emotional needs are not being met.
I believe that military spouses could support their soldiers more effectively and be better prepared to handle the military lifestyle if they had resources that dealt with the "real" issues they deal with each day.
Issues such as stress relief, relationship strategies, depression, PTSD coping skills, suicide prevention, personal resiliency and general life balance techniques are some of the key areas that need to be addressed in a more direct and effective way.
