Military life, especially in an overseas environment, can be overwhelming as it is exciting. There are frequent moves, deployments, and a limited support system, as well as navigating a foreign country in a foreign language. These were some of the reasons that the Navy Ombudsman Program was established by then-Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Adm. E.R. Zumwalt Jr in 1970. The program’s mission is to “serve as an information link between...
Life is a mix of successes and challenges, love and heartbreak, growth and setbacks, life and death. While it may sound appealing to have an easy life with no struggles, there is beauty in the grit, broken pieces, and fragility. It reminds me of the Japanese art of kintsugi where the pieces are fused together highlighting the cracks, not hiding them, to create something unique.
“Painful events aren’t the exception, it’s a...
