A drawing to one
is a reminder of the chores one must do later.
The drawing looked like a pile of laundry on a teenage boy’s floor,
nipping at the boy’s heels.
This reminder to him
is a painting of a lonely woman’s childhood home,
radiating the warmth of family and care
to the woman living far away from her home,
like how the sun melts ice cream on a sunny day,
folding into the comfort of it all.
This painting to her
is a bunny to this young child
smiling at her, making her laugh
new to the world.
She sees the light in the small things.
This bunny to the child
is just a blotch on a piece of paper to another.
No meaning, just there, blank as an empty bottle
And so, the drawing, the painting, the bunny,
each holds a tale. A perspective uncanny,
as if it was like looking through a kaleidoscope of colors.
A reminder, a warmth, a source of happiness,
or just a blotch that might disappear.
Each perspective paints life’s canvas
with strokes of memory and creativity
or the lack, therefore,
life is different for everyone.
All see a piece, a unique part
but can you see them all?
Being a military kid requires perspective and empathy in addition to resilience and strength. Every curve in the kaleidoscope that is military life reveals new hues and patterns. Along with learning how to adjust to these changes, we also come to appreciate that each family in every community we live in adds a different shade to the overall picture.
When military children place importance in perspective, they learn to value the variety of cultures they encounter during relocations. Along with that, empathy becomes a guiding principle as we see the sacrifices our parents make while serving in the military.
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