The Lemonade of Life

“When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.” What a perfect statement for military life. As a military child, I have learned to make the best of things even in the hardest situations. When we moved to Japan in 2019, I was in a drastically different country that spoke a totally different language, and I was petrified. But as time passed, I realized I had to make the best of things; I had to have courage.  I made new friends, saw new things, and knew that I needed to be brave and face life head on.

We moved back to the States in 2022, and again I was completely friendless and lonely. But just like in Japan, I had to meet new people, do new things, go to a different church, and join a homeschool co-op in Jacksonville, N.C. I was the new kid, and it was like I was on the outside. I had to be courageous and introduce myself to new people. I ended up making many new friends and even some best friends. In only a few months, I was loving my singular life. In 2023, we were granted permission to move back to Japan, and I was quite nervous. Though I was apprehensive, I also knew that I needed to be fearless.  I remembered that I had done this before and reaped the reward of making new and special friends.

I do not know what the future will hold, but I am ready for it. I have learned that courage, true courage, is not only about being fearless, but also about making the best of things even in difficult situations, and persevering when it is arduous. Courage is never giving up.  When life gave me lemons, I made lemonade by getting over my apprehension of being the new kid to meeting and making new friends.