When people think of “courage,” they see heroes battling fearsome enemies. It is one of the things courage can represent, but it isn’t always used this way. Courage is the soldiers going to war knowing they will most likely die. Courage is the will to keep going despite the obstacles of life. Courage is something that is difficult to acquire. You need to walk a hard path in order to get it, and even after you have it, you need to continue walking the path. It can go away due to fear or pain learned from experiences and memories. Courage is the strength of the mind to keep going despite danger and difficulties. Courage is the ability to overcome obstacles life sets for you. Courage is important, a key to survival. It is used daily, and is a major player in military families’ lives. While you are mad at your parents because your sibling got more cake than you, soldiers are dying protecting their nation. While your main concern is forgetting to text your friend, soldiers’ families are worrying about their loved ones, or mourning them. Courage is a thing that keeps them going. Children that have to move around the world, husbands or wives that have to cope with death need it.
I moved to the USA from France. I couldn’t speak English. I thought everything was going to be different, so it struck me as weird when at the airport everything seemed so normal. I had been worrying and having bad dreams. I was nervous, and it was such a relief when I finally arrived. Then I had to go to school when the only things I could say were, “hello,” “how are you,” “I’m french,” and “I don’t understand what you are saying.” Each day, I had to do my homework in a language I couldn’t understand and work on my French lessons.
However, I had people to help and support me: family, friends, teachers. I will always be grateful for their help. They supplied the force and the courage I needed to go on. Courage is the thing that keeps me going, knowing that my family will be with me, that my teachers will do their best to help me, that my friends can explain to me what is going on. My teachers supplied me with tools, such as google translate and duolingo. After my first year, I could speak fluently in English, but I had an accent. I learned more during my second year, and now it’s my third year here. Knowing I wasn’t alone gave me the courage that helped me. When I will leave, it will be with regret as I had great fun and adventures here. I am glad that fear didn’t stop me from advancing on the path of life, blinding me from the happiness I got here.
Courage is important, especially to military families. It’s a propeller in life and can be brought by trusted people. Don’t let your fears overwhelm you. You’re not alone, there’s always a good point, something good, in everything. You’ll always have a friend, peer, teacher, family member encouraging you every second of the way, even if you don’t always see it. Don’t give up on life, you are courageous enough not to. Everyone is.