This article was sent to us by Natalie S., an eighth grader stationed in Texas. Do you have a story to share with your fellow military teens? Visit our writing page to find out how you can submit to Bloom!
My favorite Disney movie is Tangled and in 2017, they came out with a Tangled series that I still enjoy watching. In the show, Rapunzel didn’t want to be in charge - she didn’t want to be a princess, but she had to because she was born into that family. It’s very similar to how being a military kid isn’t something any of us chose; it chose us.
The three main characters in the series are Rapunzel, Eugene, and Cassandra. They go on a months-long journey. When things began to get hard, they sang a song called “With You By My Side.”
Now, now more than ever
We must stick together, united
Now
It’s now or never
So let’s face the future
Clear-sighted
Somehow we’ve managed to make it this far
It’s been one heck of a ride
There’s nothing I couldn’t do
Not with you by my side
When I listen to the song, I think about how it applies to me and my life. As this song exemplifies, to get through everything this world is going to throw at you, sticking together with friends and family is necessary. And perhaps, like me, you’ve wondered how you’ve made it this far… I know without a doubt that the people around me have contributed to my perseverance.
Maybe tomorrow we’ll find, to our sorrow
Our story has come to an ending
Maybe we’re fated to be separated
Who knows where our paths might be bending
How I wish we could stay here forever this way
But perhaps there’s no point in pretending
If we’re destined to head in our own different ways
Let’s make the most of these sweet final days
It’s hard saying goodbye so many times, and it’s hard to ignore that day circled on my calendar, labeled in bold Sharpie as “Last Day.” But, sometimes pretending can help - it can make you focus more on your relationships, instead of wasting time. For me, I know that it would be ten times easier to maintain friendships if I never moved, but for military kids, life just doesn’t work like that. We all know that we’ll end up moving again, so we need to make the most of the time that we have with our friends.
Why not go out in a glorious blaze?
‘Cause now
Now more than ever
We’re still here together
United
Now
It’s now or never
So let’s stand as one
Undivided
When we look at this back at this moment we had
Betcha we tremble with pride
I want to look back at the times I had with old friends and be happy that we went out with a glorious blaze. Like when my friend and I in Friendswood, TX, would ride our bikes through the fields, and sometimes we would go visit the abandoned “haunted house.” I want to look back on those last moments I had with her and know that she’s still there, waiting for me. Waiting for me to show up at her house for a sleepover, a birthday party, or even to go out to eat. When I think about all the moments I shared with her, I tremble with pride.
There's nothing I couldn't do
Not with you by my side
What in the world would I do
Without you
Without you
Without you
By my side
I have no idea what I would do and where I would be without my friends by my side. They have gotten me through so much, and I’ve done the same for them. I haven’t moved as much as most military kids do, but in all seven moves from Florida to Texas, I’ve made some amazing friends and I was heartbroken to leave them. I’m somewhat happy that I was heartbroken every time I said goodbye, because that meant that we had a wonderful friendship.
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