The face of courage

Happy Sunday,

How are you doing on this beautiful Sunday morning? Looks like it’s gonna be another hot day. Thank goodness for the AC and pool. I do hope you are able to find your place of refuge from this heat as well.

I wanted to share some exciting news with everyone. Yesterday I officially hit 10,000 views on my blog. WOW, I am beyond honored and over the moon for the amount of support everyone is showing me. Thank you so so so much.

Today I wanted to talk about what the face of courage looks like, at least to me. Why this topic, well, let me tell you a little story.

Last night I went out to enjoy some pool time and I was blessed to be joined by a neighbor who is also my friend. We began talking and she brought up my blog and how she related to it, especially yesterday’s blog on discussions. She shared with me how she didn’t feel heard in a relationship from years ago. She was like me and had given up on being heard just to avoid an argument. I never knew that about her. I knew she wasn’t happy in that relationship many moons ago, but I didn’t know the depths of her story until she opened up to me last night.

This amazing lady shared with me some of the story of her life and how lonely and unheard, amongst other feelings she had felt. I must say this before I continue, I was so touched to know she trusts me enough to have shared some of her darkest moments.

To me, this woman has become the face of courage. The things she endured throughout her life are things a lot of us would have walked away from. Somehow and from somewhere deep inside, she was able to, not only endure, but survive.

Her story is one that many in the world can relate to. I won’t go into detail about her life, but I will say this, she taught me what courage looks like.

Ladies and gentlemen, how many of you come from backgrounds of abuse, abandonment, betrayal, illness, and loss? I think it’s safe to say, most of us come from some sort of background that has at least one of these aspects in it.

So you may be wondering what this all has to do with having the face of courage? I’ll tell you. We never know what someone in life is going through or has gone through. The people we meet much of the time don’t share their survival stories.

Listening to my friend last night, made me realize that it only takes a moment to show a little more kindness to the person at the grocery store who jumped in front of me in line. It will only take a moment to say hi to the older gentleman walking his dog. I’m reminded that it’s better to breathe in 1.2.3.4.5 and exhale slowly, 1.2.3.4.5 then to become agitated with the person who flew by me on the freeway weaving in and out of traffic.

My point today is simple, we never know what is going on in someone’s world.

Perhaps the gal that cut in front of me has an abusive husband at home who gave her precisely 20 minutes to get to and from the store. Maybe the older gentleman walking his dog is alone and I’m the one and only person who took that moment to say hi and listen to him. The car that sped by me, cutting in and out of traffic? Maybe they’re on their way to the hospital because a loved one was in an accident or worse, maybe they need to get to the hospital to say their final goodbyes.

Sure, there are those A-holes in life who are just so self entitled. Those folks beat to their own drums anyway. Selfish people are what they are, but, we shouldn’t become so hardened that our way of treating others, including those A-holes changes for the worse.

After talking to my friend, I realized, she is the definition of courage.

Last night when I went to bed, I thought a lot about the things she shared with me and I realized, when I’m out in the world, shopping, driving, walking or whatever I’m doing, how many of those faces I come across are also the face of courage.

People have gone through many trials in their lives, and continue to endure abuse, neglect, hunger, fear and so many other things, especially during these uncertain times in our society. So many people in this world, despite their hardened faces, they too are wearing some sort of courage.

What is going on in someone’s life that nearly destroys them, yet they find the strength and power within to get up and do another day, much of the time a repeat from the previous one and the one before that? We may never know. How many faces of courage have I met and had no clue of their story? How many have you met? I’m sure the numbers would be staggering.

“Courage isn’t having the strength to go on-it is going on when you don’t have strength.”-Napoleon Bonaparte.

My friend continued in a life where it took courage despite not having the strength. Oh, she’s a strong woman for sure, but strength sometimes slips away and all we have to rely on is the courage and a higher power to get us through. Who knows, maybe that’s a type of strength in itself. Who knows.

My dear readers, the next time your out and about, take a moment while interacting with someone new and realize, you too might be looking at the face of courage, whether you ever know their story or not.

I believe to some level, we all wear the face of courage. We’ve all gone through some trial or tribulation, or at least most of us have.

I suppose what I’m trying to get at is simple, we just need to stop the judgement. “Please don’t judge people. You don’t know what it took someone to get out of bed, look and feel presentable as possible and face the day. You never truly know the daily struggles of others.”-Karen Salmansohn.

To those out there who have faced head on abuse, neglect, abandonment, betrayal or whatever other type of hurt, remember this, “one of the greatest acts of courage is having to face everyday of life feeling unloved.”-Joseph Curiale.

And there you have it. My ramble on what I think the face of courage looks like. It’s the face of the demons someone is dealing with and we have absolutely no clue of.

Until next time, don’t forget, Love Life++ Hugs.