They Call Them Military Brats

My daughter just started her senior year of high school. She is a track star, known for exceptional soccer skills and her nutty sense of humor. She has a calm strength about her that is effortlessly beautiful from the inside out. And, as an honor roll student, she has earned an early graduation if she so pleases.

As a military family, we, like so many other military families, worry about constantly transitioning our children through new states and new cultures, trying to keep them up to speed with their academics and extracurricular activities. My daughter lived in a different city each year of high school. And now, we’re on the opposite coast for her senior year. She's starting a brand new life during this mile-marker year. I seem to be more worried than she is.

She has faith in the midst of this madness. She has faith in our unconventional methods. She seems to have enjoyed this little life on wheels. I’m not sure she realizes that so much of what we have done has been a free fall, a great big experiment with very little room for traditional routines. Yet somehow she thrived, accomplishing amazing thingsand collecting a most darling array of memories along the way.

I am so proud of her. So much so that I could very possibly burst. The military lifestyle is not the easiest road. In my opinion, in addition to earning a high school diploma, she has earned a doctorate in “Juggling Life While State-to-State Hopping.”

They call them “military brats.” I call them “better than most.” Oh no, I am not in the least bit biased. I am a whole lot biased for these kids, and proud of it!

Take heart parents of military children. It will be okay! They can thrive.

What are your biggest worries this back-to-school season?