“Medal of Honor Kyle Carpenter” by Cpl. Michael Guinto / U.S. Marine Corps is in the Public Domain.

Who is ever going to love me again?

Most of us have had moments in our lives that lead us to question, “Who is ever going to love me again?” The question can arise for many reasons: job loss, financial strain, a relationship ending, addictions, depression, weight gain, or simply feeling depleted.

It was not a question I expected to hear from a Medal of Honor recipient when I attended “An Evening of Inspiring Tales and Tails” on behalf of Guardian Angels Medical Service Dogs, so I read his memoir, You Are Worth It: Building a Life Worth Fighting For.

Kyle Carpenter is the youngest living recipient of the Medal of Honor for his actions in Marjah, Helmand Province, Afghanistan, in 2010. Kyle Carpenter threw his body on top of a grenade to protect a fellow Marine. Kyle Carpenter’s jaw and right arm were shattered; he lost his right eye and most of his teeth and had a collapsed lung. Kyle was resuscitated on three separate occasions and endured three years of rehabilitation.

After being discharged from the hospital, Kyle struggled to hold a spoon to eat a bowl of cereal. Kyle then asked his mother, “Look at me.  Who is ever going to love me again?”

My heart broke when I thought of a 21-year-old man who had sacrificed his youth to fight for freedom, survived approximately 40 surgeries, and still asked the question, “Who is ever going to love me again?”  After that moment, Kyle made a determined decision to overcome adversity.  Kyle graduated from college, ran a marathon, spoke at events as part of the Washington Speakers Bureau, and hosted a podcast.

I thought of myself at Kyle’s age, enjoying myself with college friends, studying abroad, and trying to figure out my future.  Kyle was waking up to gunfire, grenades, the threat of IEDs, and seeing the real cost of human life during war. I was also deeply impressed by the medical teams who had to be ready in a split second to treat wounded soldiers—and sometimes even the enemy.  As someone who grew up in the city of Mr. Rogers, I always remembered Mr. Rogers quoting his mother, “Look for the helpers.  You will always find people who are helping.”  The selflessness of the soldiers fighting in Afghanistan and the medical teams saving lives exemplified the truth of that statement.

What has stayed with me the most from Kyle’s memoir, “You Are Worth It,” is how it inspires all of us to be better human beings. If we had all put our lives on the line for freedom—or, like, the medical teams fought to save the lives of human beings—would many of the things we worry or care about really matter?

Kyle’s memoir is a poignant testament to life’s fragility, beautifully reminding us that we are all connected in our shared need for redemption.