Christina Koch

And I finally put my finger on it.

I was worried that the people that would walk through the door and see it would think that they weren't enough.

because that statue was too perfect of a representation.

And at the little speech making that I did when it opened, I made sure to talk about the person I was in high school and how unsure I was of myself, how many mistakes I made, how many people I hurt, people that hurt me.

And I just wanted them to know that they don't have to be as perfect as the statue.

And sometimes, right now, I feel like this crew is a little bit like that statue.

We, in being here and talking about the superlatives, it doesn't tell the whole story because

We have a long story, a lot of people behind us, a lot of missteps, a couple of victories.

But all that came together to make us these people that very humanly carried everyone's dreams around the far side of the moon.

But before we did that, we were enough.

And I would say to them, you are too.

I did.

I had those conversations with my husband and

He knew I was working on a will.

He was aware of the risks.

And I sort of waited, I would say, till the mission was very salient, till we were in quarantine.

And I knew that he knew that I was going on a journey that I understood the risks of, and that it was the fulfillment of my life's work and all of my dreams, and that that would bring him peace if I didn't come back.

But what I realized I needed him to know was that none of that was what meant the most to me and why he should actually have peace.

It was because he loved me and I loved him.

And that's why it would be okay.