Military Moms

This week, sadly, I've had a life lesson in estate planning. A close family member died unexpectedly, and we've spent the week preparing to head to her funeral and working with relatives to settle her estate. It's been a difficult week and a crash course in estate planning. Every mom, military or not, should take some time to plan her estate. Here are some tips to help you start the estate planning process.

Recently, I've had the fun of helping two online friends adjust to military life. One is a mom who's new to military life and is preparing to move to Germany. The other is a grandmother whose son-in-law is enlisting in the Navy, asking questions on her daughter's behalf as well as her own. Answering the questions these military moms send my way reminds me of how much I take for granted now that I know my way around the military "system." For a new military mom, something as simple as having a friend visit her in base housing can be complicated and frustrating. Military moms need help from those of us who've been around the block a few times.

At this time of year, military moms are besieged by requests for donations. There are so many deserving military charities out there that it's hard to decide among them. Around the holidays, thoughts also turn to our deployed servicemembers and to the many families who've sacrificed so much for our country. If you're looking for ways to help others during the holidays, here are some military charities that help or are sponsored by veterans and military members for you to consider. While this is definitely not an exhaustive list of military charities, I hope you'll find it useful.