When was the last time you felt brave? What were you doing that made you feel that way?

Right now. Facing the Christmas season again, and after 9 years of being without my husband of 58 years, I still have to summon every ounce of courage to get through this time with a carefree smile on my face! Somehow I still feel like half a person at this time.

The day my son was diagnosed as a type 1 diabetic. He was 18months old and I was a complete wreck. I was petrified of needles. Having to learn to inject your child knowing that too much or too little insulin could be life threatening. Learning to navigate through this life and educate others who are so misinformed. I found a voice I didn’t know I had. He now is 14 years old and he is the most well managed insulin dependent and bravest kid I know. He made me brave.

Two months ago.

My dad passed away on the 26th of September after being in a coma for over two weeks. I went to the hospital every day, stood next to his bed and held his hand while telling him that I’m taking care of his garden, my mom and their fur-babies and that he doesn’t need to worry about anything… that we are waiting for him to get better and come home.
Deep down I knew he wasn’t getting any better. He wasn’t responding to treatment, his organs were failing but I went every day. Seeing someone you love struggle and suffer so much and there’s nothing you can do is one of the hardest things you will ever go through.
When the hospital called and told us we had to go and say goodbye, that nothing was working, was honestly the worst day of my life. I felt brave as I pushed my 80 year old grandmother to my father’s bedside so she could say goodbye to her only child.. It broke my heart listening to her praying over him and telling him how she was blessed with him for 55 years of her life and although she’ll miss him dearly, heaven is so lucky to welcome him. Saying goodbye in that way, holding my grandmother’s hand, telling my dad it’s okay, that we will be okay without him not knowing if we would, was the bravest thing I’ve done. ????

My best friend, Sophie, our family companion and pet dog, sadly went home 2 weeks ago. We had to say goodbye to her, surrounded by all the people who loved her deeply for 11 years, we gave her one last kiss, scratch, and hug. It was one of more challenging and raw experiences of death I’ve felt in a long time. I felt brave because that morning, she gave me a different look, one that wasn’t familiar. I knew. My folks were away (2 hours) and I needed to be with her, love her, and then take her to the vet. I carried her from the house to the car, with my partner. Then from the car to the bed in the vet. I dealt with the doctor and stayed by her side until my parents arrived. It was raw, and incredibly difficult. I felt I needed to be strong for my her, and for my parents. I cried a lot, our lives together flashed before my eyes. The day I dreaded came to be. We said our good byes and watched her fall into a deep sleep. It was deeply sad and there is a massive hole left behind. She loved me unconditionally and I loved her with everything I had. She changed my life and played the biggest part in my whole families lives.
I was brave because I needed to be, but being brave doesn’t mean that you’re ok. You’re just being stronger than usual and experiencing the pain differently. You’re fine, but with difficulty.

This week! I was on a speaking panel with some people I really admire and are heroes in my eyes! I had a moment where I easily could have performed but chose to be brave and just be myself. It felt brave.

Starting a business from scratch at the age
of 55 took a lot of courage! It’s been going
for some time now, but a couple of months
ago | launched a new line in my clothing
range which has been really stretching and so
rewarding at the same time… Customer
feedback has been wonderful which I’m so
grateful for! I guess that’s taken bravery…?

Every week, most recently yesterday. I made a significant career shift in the middle of the year, a complete 180 from the industry I’d been in for 16 years. I certainly don’t have the energy to cultivate a new career nearing 40, as I did when I was in my early 20’s. Sometimes it’s really hard, sometimes it seems infinitely challenging, often I wonder what the heck I was thinking leaving my comfort zone. Sometimes it’s really difficult to get past the first hurdle of showing up every day. But I do. And I’m willing to try, to step into the unknown and get intimate with the discomfort of it all, and that makes me feel brave.

For a long time, I was terrified of rejection. Although no one likes rejection, this fear was really holding me back. To the point where I wouldn’t even want to initiate a coffee with a friend – if they said no, I would take it as a personal rejection of my character.
I’ve been working hard to overcome this, and now every time I initiate something fun with a friend (I made a plan this afternoon), I feel brave!

3 Years ago, struggling with anxiety and depression (albeit unbeknown to me) took a leap of faith, left a toxic environment (work related) packed our vehicle and drove to Cape Town on a whim a week later… No idea what the future had in store for us. Alas, 3 years later here we are married, expecting our first child, personally working through therapy to better myself and don’t recall ever being this happy and content in my life. It’s amazing how liberating it can be to take control of a situation and just trust your gut and make assertive decisions.

It felt very brave to ask my boss for reduced hours last week. And very brave every day since asking to smile at her each morning without getting an answer

My job requires me to speak to a large number of people often, and it always makes me nervous. So the last time I felt brave was last week, speaking confidently in front of people sharing my heart on all that I’m passionate about

2 weeks ago. Ive decided to tackle all of our home diy projects all by myself. As a female that weighs 55kg, some of those power tools can be pretty scary and hard to handle. I felt brave then. ???? And I must say that our deck looks flippen good.

I recently re-sparked a passion and played music in front of people again after many years of being out of practice. I was nervous that I wasn’t good enough anymore, but having bravery in spite of the fear was freeing!

Every time I see my psychologist I feel brave. It’s scary walking into a situation knowing you won’t be comfortable but it will benefit you in the outcome. Every time I go and actually commit to digging in, I feel brave!

This year I went through a depression for the first time in my life. It was terrifying, exhausting, debilitating, overwhelming and all the horrible things you could think of.

There were days when I couldn’t get out of bed because the weight of depression lay so heavy on my chest. But there were also days when I got up, and days when I met with my psychologist, and days when I healed parts of my heart that I didn’t even know were broken.

And that all brought me to today. Healed and mostly whole, and bravely taking every new day as it comes.

Jumping off a cliff in Turkey with my best friend in October!

I moved abroad about four months ago, away from all my family and friends. I did not feel brave doing it. I still don’t. But when I look back at every day since getting on that place, it sure is the bravest I have ever been. And the most scared. But I am learning that I can be both scared and brave at once.

Yesterday. I spoke to my mother about her feelings when learning that my father had a child with another woman.