She stood on the side of the pool, goggles on, swim cap tight, shivering and crying. Pathetic. Skinny. Meek. Might all be words that described how my eight-year old appeared. She stepped off the side of the pool and dropped feet first into the water. And then swam, arms flapping, slapping the water making waves in all kinds of ungraceful ways.
Nothing about her looked courageous. Simply terrified.
But that’s what makes us courageous. We must feel fear first in order to be brave.
Plunge into the cold when we’re already freezing. Force our muscles to do what we don’t want them to.
And I see you moms who are brave everyday. You walk into that principal’s office. Face that job that you don’t want to face. Hear those doctor’s reports. You have those difficult conversations that might not end well. You get out of bed, put your feet on the floor and stand for whatever the day holds.
You may not feel like you look courageous, but you do. Your fear shows your courage.