11.18.2011

brave

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I think about being brave - about courage a lot. Probably a lot more than most people, and definitely a lot more than I should. People associate bravery with war-heroes and risk takers but I think to be alive on this earth and not fall apart sometimes is bravery too. Most of the time it is so, so good to us but sometimes it's not and I think it's okay to admit that. To move on, to wake up and have jobs and get married and have children and brush our teeth and floss is brave. It means we believe in a future, and it means that we are preparing ourselves to be happy in that future. It means we know that bad things might happen to us and the people we love and facing it anyway.

I think brave people are war heroes and such, but I also think that women who have miscarriages and men who lost their jobs and have a family to feed and missionaries who leave their homes for 18 months are really brave. I think people who go to school for a long time because they believe in their future and young moms and comedians and grocery store clerks are brave. I think kids who ride a bike for the first time, and single parents and waitresses are brave too and I think we need to give each other more credit for courage.

Look at us. We're brave people.

4 comments:

siddathornton said...

i see bravery almost everywhere i look. thank you for posting this & reminding me.

Dee Paulino said...

I am so used to the media's idea of portraying as brave only those who survived a war, firefighters, police officers, etc... that I'd forgotten about the small but still difficult daily battles we all fight everyday.

great reminder.

Anonymous said...

you're great mands...I love you!

Catherine said...

loving these thoughts!
you are lovely!