Mementos come in all shapes and sizes — that tiny rock your child gave you on your birthday, a ticket stub from a concert you and your best friend went to years ago, or a pressed flower from your wedding day bouquet. We humans generally like to hold on to the good memories. Some people do it by putting them in keepsake boxes. 
 
If you ask military and veterans’ spouses about these things, they’ve likely got a few mementos too. 
 
“I still carry my husband’s dog tags every day,” said ALA National Headquarters’ Stephanie Holloway. “He retired from the National Guard in 2018 but spent 20 years serving. I definitely had some challenging moments as a military spouse — one time he had to leave for a few weeks of training when our second-born was only 8 weeks old — but I don’t think about those hardships when I revisit my keepsake boxes. I remember the sweet moments.”
 
The U.S. government recognizes military spouses as some of the strongest, most resilient and independent people. They keep their heads held high during adversities and rarely complain. They push through the tough moments and keep going. 
 
If you’re going through a rough patch, you’ll want a military spouse on your side. They’ll lift you up and keep you there. But don’t be surprised if they also tell you to pull yourself together (always said with love). 
 
On Military Spouse Appreciation Day (Friday, May 10), American Legion Auxiliary members will be doing a special wave of support to those heroes on the homefront. If your ALA unit is hosting an event or recognizing military and veteran spouses in a special way, you can be sure the gratitude is received … and any trinkets will go into the keepsake box.