Valor

Yesterday I took Taylor to the doctor for his four-year-old check up. He passed with flying colors, but had to endure a finger prick test to check iron levels in his blood, as well as four vaccinations. There were quite a few tears shed, and as we were getting ready to leave, Taylor looked over at me and said, "Mom? Let's get out of here!"

As we drove away from the doctor's office I exclaimed, "Taylor, you were such a brave boy! I am so proud of you!"

From the back seat came a most dejected reply.
"Mom, I wasn't brave. I was so scared!"

"Oh, honey!" I responded, "It's okay to be scared! Just because you are scared, it doesn't mean you aren't brave! Being brave means that you keep going even when you are afraid. You were very brave today!"

And then I stopped to ponder that idea myself.

Honestly, this past month has really beaten me up pretty good. I have been down, I have been overwhelmed... but mostly? I've just felt weak, shaken, and afraid. Brave would not be the adjective of the month, that's for certain.

But maybe I'm just as hard on myself as Taylor was.
I love this quote from Mark Twain, "Courage is resistance to fear... not the absence of fear."

Adversity comes to us all, and times of trial and heartache can leave us feeling frightened and discouraged.

But we persevere.
We continue on.
We reach within ourselves and lean on our friends, family, and Savior.

And we are still here.

Maybe we're braver than we think.