BRAT Life

I was once asked to describe my life as a BRAT.    I stumbled for words because, after all, how do you explain a life of constant upheaval to a civilian without making it seem as though you’re looking for a “pity party” or like your life was one big FUBAR’d SNAFU after another.  We all have stories of moving mishaps that will make civilians roar in fear or laughter.

Most of them don’t really understand what it’s like.  It took me a long time to formulate the words. After all, I’m really *not* a writer.  How do I make people understand what they can’t understand?  How can I get them to at least see what life was like behind the curtain; inside the fortress.

Oh, how I thought and thought until I could thought no more.

Then it hit me.  I’ll tell them what it was really like.  And so I did.

How do I explain my life as a BRAT to you?  I know that you want to understand…that you long to understand, but I also know that, because you have not lived it, you will not understand.

I will, however, give it my best shot to give you a glimpse, no matter how small, into what my BRAT life was like.

Imagine going to bed on a Sunday night, knowing the next morning, your hero will be gone for an undetermined amount of time. As Daddy is tucking you in bed, he softly kisses your forehead. 'I need you to be brave for Mommy while Daddy's gone. Mommy will need that from you. Can you do that?' You see tears threatening to fall from his eyes and feel them form in yours. You nod 'yes' and hug him tightly. You know it's not brave to cry, so you choke the tears back. Once Daddy closes the door and your room is dark, you let your tears quietly fall. The next morning, you see Mommy, her eyes red and puffy from saying goodbye to Daddy. You hug her, remembering your promise to Daddy the night before. Even though you're young, you cry your tears quietly in the dark, alone so you can continue to be Brave for Mommy.

During Daddy's deployment, you hear people say things about him. Though Mommy tries to shield you from it, you still hear it. You hear words like 'Murderer', 'Baby Killer', 'Brainwashed', and 'Unwanted'. You don't understand what they mean, but you know they're not nice. Mommy explains what they mean and tells you to ignore them. 'Not everyone loves Daddy like we do.' And you ignore the bad comments about your daddy because you're Resilient. Resiliency becomes your way of life.

Because when Daddy comes home, it’s a time of great joy and of sorrow because he has his orders. ‘In three months, we’re moving to a new place.’ You’re excited and apprehensive, but you know that you’re going to be fine because you’re Adaptable.  The school you just attended is out for the summer, but your new school, at Daddy’s new duty station, has one month left.  Even though you’re scared of the new school and of your new teachers, who are less than understanding, you face the challenge head on because you’re Brave, Resilient, and Adaptable.

The challenges that you face don’t bother you because you’re Tough.  Mommy and Daddy taught you to be.  Despite how scare you may feel, you get up, get over, and get on with life.  Why? Because your Bravery, Resiliency, Adaptability, and Toughness helps you to.

You carry your Bravery, Resiliency, Adaptability, and Toughness from duty station to duty station.  BRAT doesn’t just define you as a child; it comes to define you as an adult.  There is nothing that you can’t face; no challenge you won’t take on because you are a BRAT!

I now you still may not fully understand my life, but I hope this helps you understand why I cherish…love…and cling to BRAT!I

In the past few weeks, I have seen my “family”…my entire BRAT family finally stand up to make our voices heard.  We have spent our lives in the shadows, quietly supporting our parent (or parents).  We have implemented everything they have ever taught us about warfare to keep our sacred moniker.

Today’s BRATs face many challenges that the BRATs of yesteryear never faced, but they are not facing anything that we BRATs of yesterday have.  I know to the civilian population, that may not make any sense, but in the BRAT community, that makes perfect sense.

We know their story because we lived it.  We lived in a time where war was always just around the corner.  They live in a time where peace is always just around the corner.  They live in a time of ISIS threats.  We lived in a time of USSR threats.

And like generations of BRATs before them, today’s BRATs will face each and every challenge laid before them in the very typical BRATtitude of “COME AT ME, BRO!”

And they will win just because they fought!

BRAT ON!

I am a dandelion-
I go wherever the breeze takes me
And I flourish wherever it is that I land.
I am a dandelion-
You may not always see me in your midst
But you always know that I am there.
I am a dandelion-
Some see me as a beautiful flower
Others see me simply as a weed.
I am still a dandelion-
Just waiting for the very next breeze.