Courage

Courage was the character trait for October of this school year.  In the Pocopson growth journals, courage is defined as being brave enough to do what you should do, even when you are afraid.  I have chosen to reflect on courage today in memory of a dear friend who lost his courageous battle with cancer 5 years ago today. He was a high school science teacher and also a husband and father of two young boys. Despite fighting brain cancer for two years (one that statistically only offered a 1 percent survival rate), I saw nothing but courage and hope in his battle.  I still have trouble fully comprehending his acts of bravery during those two years – watching him deliver a survivor’s speech at the Brain Tumor Society Walk (surrounded by hundreds of people who had lost loved ones to the disease he was facing), getting up and running every morning before his chemotherapy so that he could remain healthy and win 5k runs, and watching his young children grow without knowing what the outcome of his battle would be. There are many stories of people such as my friend who face unimaginable obstacles that require courage that we are not sure we would possess if we were in those situations. Right now, many of us wonder how we are going to support ourselves, take care of our loved ones, and we struggle with the fear of getting sick. Collectively we are feeling this fear and we need to remind ourselves that we possess courage that we sometimes don’t realize we have.  Each time we learn something new to help our students or our children, each time we run an errand to the store to pick up food and risk exposure, each time we reach out to help care for someone who is in need, we are showing our courage.  We can remind ourselves of the things and people around us who reinforce that we are safe and remind us that we can be brave.  We can look to others in our community who are taking risks and helping others every day as inspiration for courage when we are not sure how to face a scary situation – there are many of them out there.  I will leave you with this quote from Mr. Rogers which reinforces our ability to be brave and show courage even during scary moments.  “When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, "Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.” We are surrounded by courage and bravery in others and within ourselves – we just have to remind ourselves to be looking for it.

My Reflections:

2 Challenges

• We often hear of the stories of fear about this pandemic and these news stories turn a forecast into a “fearcast.”
• Things that were previously routine or mundane (going to the doctors, running errands in a grocery store, interacting with a group of people) are now a cause of fear.  We have to remind ourselves of the things that we can control to keep us safe (wearing a mask, social distancing, etc.).

2 Positives

• I am more aware of the conditions around me that remind me that I am safe and that I have the courage to face this pandemic – (social supports, the ability to work from home, food and shelter – all of which are reminders that I am safe right now).
• Courage is a part of our daily life in many small acts – meeting a new person, starting a new school year, and preparing for a test/quiz.  We can look at the times in our lives where we have demonstrated courage and use those examples to continue our growth mindset around courage.

What can I do differently tomorrow to demonstrate courage?

• When I hear something that makes me feel scared, I can remind myself of the things around me that make me feel safe. I can also channel this fear into ways to help others (If I am worried about healthcare workers getting sick or not being available to help those who are sick – I can write cards, donate supplies, or provide meals to these health care personnel to build courage, even when I feel afraid).

Your Reflections:

2 Challenges

 *

 *

2 Positives

       *

       *

What can you do differently tomorrow to demonstrate courage?

       *