Stay steady, mind your business, and don’t compare yourself to others. You are where you are for a reason, don’t lose sight of it. There’s a prize at the end, and endurance is the only way to get it.

Khadijah Queen is author of Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea: A Veterans Memoir. The book made the Library of Michigan's notable books list of 2026. Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea: A ...