A Father’s Day on the Water – The Spence Family’s Trip 

When we work with past or present service members, there’s always this full-circle feeling of appreciation. Every trip is different, but they all remind me of the sacrifices not only made by the person who serves but also by the entire family. Civilians sometimes lose sight of that. When you sign up for the military, you sign up for a lifestyle, and ownership—deployments, moving every few years, the brotherhood, and the toll it takes on your body. But the spouses and kids? They didn’t exactly sign up, yet they live it too. 

A group of resilient moms—each a past recipient of a Spanish Fly Foundation trip—reunited in the Florida Keys for a much-needed retreat. From sharing their stories at the 2025 Spanish Fly Shark Tournament to laughing together on boat rides, swimming with dolphins, and watching sunsets at sea, this trip was more than a getaway. It was a celebration of strength, sisterhood, and healing. As one mom said, “I came home a better wife, a better mother, and a better me.