I am a military child.

People tell me I am resilient. Truth is, I don’t know really know what that means. I do know I am living life the best way I know how. That means dealing with a lot of change. A lot of not knowing. As in, I don’t know where I will live six months from now. Or for how long. I don’t know if my mom or dad will deploy. Or for how long.  I don’t always know how to handle big feelings when mom or dad is gone for a long time, so it’s a day-by-day process, and I have my parents, teachers, and friends to help.  

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I am a military child.

This means moving a lot, and it also means my family gets to travel and see lots of interesting places and meet really amazing people from all over the world. I love trying unique foods from every place we go, and I have learned to appreciate all different cultures. 

I am a military child. 

I know we will make the best of whatever life throws at us. Even when it’s hard. Even when it’s great. That’s just what we do. We are a military family, and we are part of something bigger than us. 

I am a military child. 

I may tell you my mom or dad is “in the desert” or “tdy” or “deployed” and that may sound foreign to you. It is not foreign to me at all as sacrifices of our family’s time together is a natural part of our lifestyle. The commitment my parent made to serve our country means they often don’t get to be home for birthdays, special events, or even holidays.

It also means that when we do get to be together, we don’t take that time for granted, and no matter what we choose to do or how we choose to celebrate, it is really special and often becomes a treasured memory. (Like the time we celebrated my birthday by eating pizzas on top of our moving boxes and then had a giant Nerf battle!)

I am a military child. 

I reach out to others because I know what it’s like to be alone or feel lonely or sad.  

I know what it’s like to be the new kid or not know anyone in the room at first. It also means I get the chance to be a friend and make lots of new friends wherever I go—I have friends all over the world now.

I am a military child. 

To the families who have reached out to us and offered friendship and become our home away from home,  thank you—from the bottom of our hearts. Whether our time together is a year or less or a few years, it means so much, and we treasure our time together and memories with you always. You made our time at that station truly special. To our extended families, we love and miss you, and your love and support mean so very much—more than you know.

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I am a military child.

I am ready and eager for new experiences because I’m confident I can figure out how to handle it eventually. I am aware and knowledgeable of the world around me and want to impact it in a positive way, just like I watch my mom or dad do every time they put on our country’s uniform.

I am so proud of them, and I know I’m part of something bigger than me, bigger than us, and that it’s important.  

Thank you all for the extra recognition this month, but I’ll never ask for any of it. I am proud to be a part of my family’s service to our country, and someday, I’ll look back and see how all this shaped me into the person I’m supposed to become.   

I am a military child.