Courage is the bedrock of military life and experience, it’s a companion, a best friend. After being a military child my entire life which was full of moving and leaving my parents, I have learned that courage is not just about facing danger, but the obstacles and everyday bravery that a military child, like me, goes through. Courage was not just about battling trying to ride a unicycle, but it was about making new friends, saying goodbye to old ones, adjusting to new schools, and moving homes from base to base. We had to gain the courage to say goodbye to the parents who went to fight in the war, never knowing if they would make it back in the next couple of months. Courage has taught me how to face adversity when it comes to major changes and challenges.
My father’s deployment taught me the courage required to serve our country. The endless determination, the countless responsibilities, and the unweighted risks that are taken. This courage taught me how to respect service members, and how I should never doubt their resilience, or even mine.
Although my father was the one in uniform and putting his life on the line, my mother was the rock that kept the family together during my father’s absences. She taught me to keep the courage to smile through the tears and to always keep a fire burning even when my nights got dark. I have learned the courage it takes to be both parents at once, and how special it is to just give an “I love you” to a parent who is keeping the household alive. Courage has taught me to be independent even when I need help the most.
As I grow older, I have learned to gain the courage to chase my dreams and never give up even when the road ahead of me seems rocky. Stepping out of my comfort zone and going down paths full of obstacles, I’ve learned it all through the courage the military life has brought me. Courage has given me a path that guides me through unforeseen situations, and times where I am full of fear and uncertainty. Without courage I would fear leaving my parents for college, I would fear starting a new life, but I have courage there to guide me.
Yet, the biggest thing courage has brought me and my military life is the resilience and bonds that have been formed. All military children have a special bond built through courage, it gives us a sense of community, and we are never alone. Courage has taught me that there is always someone there going through the same tough times I have. The same trouble of making new friends, going to new schools, and moving from base to base.
Courage brings military life into one, one struggle, one bond, one mindset. Courage is the perfect best friend every military child needs, and a military child has the perfect soul that courage can fill.