Strength + Control
Growing up as the only girl in a military home, I have spent the majority of my life subconsciously believing that strength is the ultimate superlative. It was never an overt declaration, as most internalized beliefs aren’t. The idea was so fundamental that it never even occurred to me to address it or recognize that it wasn’t a universal standard. Between wrestling and racing my brothers, being the only girl in an annual vacation of 10 kids, and even committing to Air Force ROTC, strength just seemed to be ingrained in the way I viewed the world. To that end, many of my proudest moments revolve around exhibiting some sort of mental toughness. Surviving a horrific jaw surgery by pretending I was a prisoner of war, starting a dance team against the odds, and doing well at a the Air Force summer seminar are a few examples. In retrospect, strength had become my weakness . Or rather, the unrealistic expectations I had set for myself around the concept. At first, the idea of pursuing s