Heavens, I had such a good cry tonight. I was listening to a podcast, and one person said to another, “You are BRAVE!” And those words hit me like a ton of bricks. I had never considered that for myself before. I have always identified as scared and weak, and so afraid. My high school years were dreadful and I lived in fear of everything. I was afraid of walking down hallways, and entering bathrooms, and going into the library, of walking through the “girly” home ec classroom to get to my French class. I felt limp. The kids relentlessly called me Pansy and Flower and those names stung me so deeply. I hated everything. And I never once considered that I was brave. I think until tonight, when I heard those words, and I closed my eyes, and examples of my fearlessness kept coming and coming and coming. And I cried so deeply. So much came up from the depths and passed away.

I am very brave.

(And don’t be surprised when I finally get a pansy tattoo!)