Brave

"Hold on, be brave" - the eternal maternal refrain.
Taught to be thought, implanted in every infant.
The most meticulous mantra, made in the mind.
To be repeated eternally for every tough situation you'll find.

Have to eat something bad tasting? - Hold on, be brave.
First time public speaking? - Hold on, be brave.
Getting an injection? - Hold on, be brave.
Experiencing life? - Hold on, be brave.

So, here's the thing. The thing when we're told to be brave.
We're told what bravery is - bravery is saving the world.
It is overcoming incredible odds. For situations it's incredibly odd to be in.
But we're shown countless examples. Count and sample many unrealistic situations.

"Bravery - it only counts if you save a life."

What if you have to be brave every day?
What if bravery is getting upon the morning?
Encountering others? Wearing a smile?
Does it count? Does it matter?
What about if bravery is saving one life every day?

Bravery is not just what is done. It is the place it is done from.
Bravery is knowing, deep down, that you did all you could.
Even when the ridiculous becomes routine,
          when the essential is almost reverential,
           when the poignant is personal,
            when you deliver daily on the down-right difficult,
Then maybe, you get to redefine bravery for yourself.




Written for a friend.