Brave

Confession: Patriotic songs make me cry. (Please keep this quiet as it is privileged information.) July 4th has long been my favorite holiday. Last Sunday while singing the song "America the Beautiful" (and fighting back an embarrassing onslaught of tears) I began to think about the different expressions of bravery that went into the founding of this country.

 This led me to recognize the different types of bravery I've witnessed in my life firsthand.
- A dad working day after day doing something he doesn't love to provide for the people he does.
- A brother learning to walk again after an accident which left his legs shattered, then returning to finish the mission he'd begun.
-A sister widowed in her early thirties doing her best to raise three little boys.
-An aunt cheerfully fighting cancer...again. And so many others.

Bravery is around me every day, and in this day when we pause to celebrate the spacious skies, pilgrim feet, patriot dreams and heroes proved... I wonder... What kind of brave am I?