im learning that bravery doesnt always mean victory.  and that courage doesnt always equate success.  i’m learning that the bravest things we can do rarely reflect the courage you’ll see in a movie.  it is rarely glamorous or beautiful.  more often than not, you wont find real courage shouting from the top of the mountain turning the tide of war.

im learning that the stories we read, frodo of the shire, william wallace, the spartans, maximus in gladiator, that although each of these characters display the various shades of courage, they paint glamorous images of bravery that dont always translate into real life.

im learning that you’ll find courage in the day-to-day.  if you’re looking for it, you’ll find it in the single mom holding down a job while raising a toddler.  in the divorcee who still aches from the missing piece.  in the teacher who loves her children beyond their hardships and in doing so, changes a generation in their community.

im learning that bravery doesnt always shout.  sometimes, in rare moments, bravery whispers.  if you’re quiet, you’ll hear it.  in the hushed determination of the heartbroken to keep her heart beating, in the whispered prayer of the faithful, in the quiet decision of the wounded, to keep loving.

sometimes the bravest thing we can do is to step out on that branch, give away a chainsaw, and face our greatest fears.  even if it means we fall flat on our face.