This is gonna be long, but stick with me...
Being an Army wife, (and a sister-in-law to a catastrophically injured Iraqi Veteran) I have seen true sacrifice and heroism. I have seen soldiers come back from war with PTSD, multiple amputations, TBI's, you name it. Soldiers that will never walk again because of their sacrifice for our country. They are so brave and courageous. They are heroes to so many of us out there, including myself. What they give up every day to protect our freedom is by far and away the definition of selflessness. The military families out there are also very brave and courageous. Being a military family is not for the faint of heart, I know this all too well. For the gold star moms and families of the fallen, I have the utmost respect and compassion. To send your child off to war and not have them come home alive is a grief that no parent should ever have to feel and I honestly don't know how they get through it, but they are amazing and inspiring. Very very brave and courageous.
Our policemen and Firefighters, our EMT's and first responders.. These people put their lives on the line for us every single day to protect the home front. Without them, some of us wouldn't even be here! They are also very brave and courageous men and women whom I respect greatly and am very thankful for.
However, bravery and courageousness (is that even a word?) come in all shapes and forms.While yes, Our Armed Forces and first responders are very honorable and brave, but that's not the only kind of bravery that exists is in this world.
My mother was my hero. She was brave and courageous. She was not a soldier or a firefighter. No. She was just so brave until her last breath! She battled brain surgery and meningitis at the young age of 37. Shortly after recovering from that, she was diagnosed with fibromyalgia which triggered severe depression, chronic fatigue, and a slew of other ailments that are too lengthy to list. Only to be diagnosed with stage 3C Ovarian Cancer at the young age of 47. She battled that with every ounce of her being and lost her 9 year battle on February 3 2015. She was there for any and EVERYone. She never felt good, but boy could she make YOU feel like a million bucks! She was the greatest person who ever lived. She was brave and courageous and a HERO to so many people (ask anyone who knew her). 122 people showed up the day of her funeral. My mother never served in the Armed Forces. Does that make her less brave and Heroic?
What does ANY of this have to do with Caitlyn Jenner, you ask? Well, I've seen it on many forums, articles, news casts, etc. That Caitlyn Jenner (former Bruce Jenner) isn't worthy of the title "Hero", "Courageous" and/or "Brave".
I greatly DISAGREE.
You do not have to be "America's Best" to be a hero. You do not have to go to war and be injured in order to qualify for the title. It was courageous to go through such a major, controversial, transformation in the public eye. Bruce Jenner never once took away from the fact that soldiers are heroes. Also, Caitlyn Jenner does not refer to HERSELF as a "hero". This is a title that has been used by the media and other critics and sources to describe what she has done, but it's true. Bruce Jenner could've gone off the grid and done this in privacy, but instead, he chose to shine some light on this very real, very socially unacceptable situation. He stood up in front of the world and said "this is me, and that's ok. Call me Caitlyn" I admire him for that. I wouldn't have had the courage to do it if I were in his shoes (which are probably more fabulous than anything I can ever afford to wear btw). Bravo(a) Caitlyn Jenner! It was courageous, heroic to so many, and very brave of you to stand up for the transgender community and share your huge, and inspiring transformation with the world! That's one step closer to Transgenders being socially acceptable, and anyone who can use their money and fame to do that for the world should be respected. There are lots of courageous people in the world today, I think Caitlyn Jenner is one of them.
Side note*** Many people do not agree with Transgender and/or gender identity disorder.. We can agree to disagree. I may get some backlash for my opinions. Especially being so closely tied to the military. Many of you may hate everything I've had to say here today, but It's my opinion, my blog, and I had to say it.
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| Photo found at:http://www.businessinsider.com/bruce-jenner-revealed-as-caitlin-jenner-2015-6 |
Was it brave of me to post this ;-p (sorry, I couldn't resist)
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