A Whisper In The Dark

"We get to say that these terrible wonderful journeys are priceless and we must keep going. Not because we have to but because our stories our bigger than ourselves and because we just might be surprised." -Jamie Tworkowski

What is bravery?

Bravery is moving on towards the unknown. It's facing your deepest fears. It's heading into battle with your inner demons, knowing the possibility that you might lose. It's trying something you've never done before. It's going to a party where you don't know anyone. It's mustering up the courage to ask for something huge, like a marriage proposal. Bravery is what addicts have when they admit they need help and ultimately seek it. Bravery is what people with terminal cancer have when they live their last days to their fullest. Bravery is what a firefighter has when he runs back into a burning building. Bravery is letting people in when all you want to do is shut them out. Bravery is sitting your family down and telling them that you need professional help. It's looking your mother in the eyes and hoping she doesn't feel like a failure to her child. It's looking at your siblings and hoping they don't feel like their love isn't enough. It's calling a treatment facility and admitting yourself. Bravery is all of these things and more.

Bravery is getting out of bed in the morning, not knowing what will come your way today.

We are all brave in our own ways. Sometimes, people see our flaws and actions as weaknesses. But what they don't know is that these actions are ways of coping. It's all we've ever known, depending on our upbringing. Some people throw things. Slam doors. Punch walls. Scream into pillows. Drink. Smoke. Cut. Fight. Listen to music. Cry. Run. Go for a drive. Go to therapy. Knit. Draw. Paint. Sculpt. All of these are ways of coping. Not all of these things are good or healthy.

The way we deal with pain makes us cowards in the eyes of strangers. But to us and the people who know us, we are brave. We are more brave than the strangers who judge and stare and whisper.

Some coping mechanisms aren't helpful. They destroy and deteriorate the people we were meant to be.

Sometimes, bravery is admitting that you're weak. It's trusting someone with your words and your secrets and fears and dreams. It's trusting that a friend will be there for you no matter what. It's revealing your true self. It's so many things. Bravery is a very frightening thing to have.

To be brave is a risk.

What does it take to be brave?

Put the pills back in the cabinet. Put down the razor blade. Pour your glass of alcohol down the drain. Call a hotline. See a counselor. Tell your family. Turn the car around and go home. Listen to a friend's problems. Trust a friend with your dreams, secrets, desires, and fears. Cry and let out the pain. Take the risk of being judged.

Bravery is not just a seven letter word. Many meanings. Many examples.

To be brave, all it takes is one phone call. A visit. A meeting. A picture. A word.

To be brave, we must live the life we've been given. The pain we've been given. Our past and our pain and our unknown future. That's bravery.