​For me, having a family member serve in the Canadian Armed Forces was an interesting experience. There were some downs as well as some ups. An example would be that I was taught discipline and sacrifice at a young age. Having a dad in the military has taught me that the world does not revolve around a single person, but rather that the single person revolves around the world.

 

The discipline I was taught made me a better student and a better person overall. From keeping my room neat and clean to keeping my grades up, he has taught me that with strong discipline, success will follow. My father has taught me that hard work is more important than anything else life has to offer. Hearing his story and the struggle it took him to immigrate to a new country had truly inspired me to become a better person.

 

I will take those lessons into my post-secondary education so that I, too, can have a greater future and contribute to the greater good of the world. In addition, I have a lot of pride in my father's service. Growing up, a main question my teachers would ask was “What does your dad do for work?” I would always have the greatest feeling when I could tell them my dad serves in the military. Seeing my teachers faces light up with respect for my father’s work and hearing my friends voices full of questions always put a pep in my step and made me feel so proud to come from a military family. This taught me from a young age how much people respect officers in service and gave me lots of admiration for my role model since birth, my father.

 

As I stated previously, not all my experiences coming from a military family were positive. Growing up, we moved around from place to place quite a bit. I think one of the hardest things I've done was leaving my friends back in Trenton and moving to a new town where I knew absolutely no one. It was incredibly nerve-racking as I had spent my entire life in my old town, and to me, it felt like I was abandoning everyone I knew. Another thing that was incredibly difficult was the long hours my dad had to work. As a kid, I remember thinking how I barely saw my dad during the week. With me being at school all day and only seeing him for around 3-4 hours a day, it would sometimes make me feel like there was a distance between my father and I.

 

Now I realize all that sacrifice was probably harder on him than me. Working those long hours, being away from home, but still finding time to make many memorable moments, could not have been an easy task. Which is why I see service in the Canadian Armed Forces as more than just a job. It represents the courage you need to go away on long trips or to go overseas, leave everything in your life behind, and start a new chapter. It represents duty, the job of serving your country and making it a better place for the future generation.

 

Finally, it represents helping others, in ensuring that Canadians have the right to feel safe in their own homes and be proud to say they are Canadians. Now, would I say growing up in a military family was difficult at times? Yes. Would I change it for any other life? Absolutely not.