Courage

So this week, my 8th graders responded to this quote.

"It's easy to be brave from a distance." -Aesop

When I give them a quote, I always give them a few questions to respond to.  One of the questions always has a persona element.  This time it was "Describe a time when you acted with bravery." 

As we started to discuss their answers, I realized my students didn't really know what bravery meant.  They thought it was simply doing something you're afraid of.  Yes, that's true, but that's only part of it.  As I listened to their examples, I realized it's also doing something smart, that you're afraid of.  Doing something stupid that you're afraid of, is just stupid.  (ex. Fighting back to your older, much larger brother.  Starting a fight with anyone, etc.)  So as the day went on, I made sure to give them an example of bravery, so that they understood what it meant.  I couldn't think of any personal examples that weren't too close to my heart right now.

I opted for a safer story about my little sister and her junior high basketball team.  Growing up she LOVED basketball.  When she got in junior high she couldn't wait to try out for the team.  In 7th grade, she didn't make it, but she spent the next year practicing and getting better and tried out again the next year and she made it.  At the time this happened, I was in college and I remember thinking how impressed I was with her courage.  If I got cut from a team, I'd find a new hobby.  When someone tells me I'm not good at something, I usually spend time on something else that I KNOW I'm good at.  So I explained to my students how that took bravery to keep trying even when it didn't go well.

Their examples still lacked some finesse.  I waited a few days to give the quote to my honors class.  So I had some time to think about it, what it means to be brave.  And I thought of my friend Valerie.  I knew that was the story I wanted to share with them. 

The Sunday before I went back to school, Valerie checked into the hospital with chest pains.  After three nights in the hospital, lots of tests, multiple doctors and a few invasive procedures and surgeries, she found out on Friday that she had stage 2 Hodgekins Lymphoma. That next Thursday she started chemotherapy.

Now, for those of you who don't know Valerie, let me tell you about her.  She's my age, almost 30.  She has four children.  She teaches Zumba.  She LOVES working out.  (Basically, not your typical cancer sufferer.)  As I thought about courage, I knew she was it.  She didn't choose cancer, it chose her.  She didn't choose chemotherapy, her doctors did.  She didn't choose any of this, but is she complaining?  Is she giving up?  Is she taking a break? Is she throwing in the towel?  NO!  She's telling cancer where to take it!  I have yet to hear a negative word from her about this.  She's always smiling.  She always asking ME how I'M doing!!!  She's making the most of a very bad situation.  She has shown me what courage means.

And that's what courage is, facing life and all that it throws at you, with a smile and a whole lot of strength no matter what.  Never admitting defeat, and not letting your trials win- beating every last one of them, just like I know Val will!