Courage Is Everywhere

Courage. Courage is a lot of things. It can be having the mental and physical strength to do hard things. It can be the ability to conquer your fears. Courage is knowing there’s a risk and still trying your best. The definition for courage from the Oxford Dictionary is, “1. The ability to do something that frightens one. 2. Strength in the face of pain or grief. Similar: bravery.”

When I think of courage, I often think of superheroes: Superman, Spider man. They have the strength to defeat their enemies even when the odds are against them. Another, less noticeable, figure that shows more courage than any superhero will ever show is a military soldier. They are the unsung heroes in our country. They have the courage to go to battle and fight for our freedom. There’s a saying by John Wayne that says, “Courage is being scared to death and saddling up anyway.” This may sound like some old country quote, but it has a deeper meaning to it.  They are afraid but have courage in the face of danger. They don’t have super strength or laser vision, they have courage.

Another group of people who have courage are military spouses and children. Being a spouse of someone in the military takes an incredible amount of courage. They take care of their family while their spouse is away. They take time to serve others, outside of their family, and help them with their needs. They have a tendency to put others before themselves. They also have the strength to be under pressure and still be able to set an outstanding example for their children, family and friends. Being a military child takes a great amount of courage as well. We are constantly moving around the world, so we need the ability to adapt to our new environments constantly. It takes a lot of courage to be the new kid over and over again and make new friends at every duty station. We need to be able to have emotional strength when our parents are away and for the many trials we will face during that time. Military spouses and children have all of these qualities. It could easily be summed up by saying, “Military families have a great amount of courage.”

Courage has shaped my life in many different ways. My family constantly shows courage when my dad is deployed or on an unaccompanied year long tour. My mom constantly shows courage when she takes on many different tasks at once and still has the strength to set an amazing example for her kids, family, and friends. My dad shows courage when he goes to fly his helicopter not exactly knowing what the journey has in store. My brothers show courage by helping out in the family and being respectful. Lastly, I show courage by being a big sister, a daughter, an example to everyone around me, and most importantly a military child.

In closing, courage is in many people. It is in all military soldiers, spouses and children. You don’t have to have superpowers to have courage, You just have to be able to willingly face and embrace the unknown.