I've always been kind of a chicken at heart when it comes to things that go bump in the night, perhaps because I was quite terrified of the dark when I was young. And though I don't like to admit it, I still get spooked when I hear a noise outside after the sun goes down. I'm the gal who pulls the covers over my head and trembles with fear, not the brave soul who grabs a baseball bat and heads out to face off with the possible intruder or bear or Bigfoot or whomever or whatever is rustling around outside my bedroom window. Except for once when we lived in Florida ... there was that one time, I suppose, when I was brave. Maybe one day, I'll tell you the story, but suffice it to say that by the time I was finished playing mama lion and protecting my cubs, I had totally used my extreme skills with a shovel and a broom handle to maim my neighbor's alligator-shaped pool float that had blown out of their yard and was tangled in the bushes along my screened-in patio ... the float that I was convinced was either a real live alligator (we did live in Florida, after all ... give me a break) or a murderer who was out to do me and my children in. Yep, I was brave that night for sure ... I flipping destroyed that green and brown alligator float and lived to tell about it.
My previous post received more views than any post I've ever written ... to the tune of almost eight times as many views. That's a lot, a whole, whole, whole lot of people who read that post. And I'm glad for that, because that means there's a plethora of folks sending lots of good thoughts to Elizabeth and her family. I'm glad because it's causing many of you to write in to tell me that you're going to listen more closely to those who need someone to talk to ... that you're going to care more deeply for those who are hurting or sad ... that you're going to love with a stronger heart than you ever have before. I'm sorry if my title frightened some of you ... actually, I'm not ... sorry about the title, that is. I'm glad that thousands of you read the note from Elizabeth's mother ... I'm glad that thousands of you are thinking about that sweet little girl ... I'm glad that thousands of you are committing to pay closer attention to both the young and old Elizabeths in your own lives because you read her mom's words. If it took a title that made you think I was done with writing this blog or done with living or done with anything else you may have thought to get you to step up and step in to help someone ... sorry ... but I'm not sorry, not even a little bit.
I received a ton of messages over the last couple of days, and it's so very humbling to me that so many of those messages have talked about me being brave. While I appreciate your kind words, I'm not at all brave or courageous, friends, I'm really not. The words terrified and trembling would be more accurate descriptions of the emotions that course through my heart and soul on a regular basis these days. In the sea of messages I received, a dear friend was the first of several folks to send me the link to a song by Sara Bareilles titled "Brave," and I'm going to close this post with the lyrics and a YouTube link to the song. The words to the song are powerful, friends, really powerful, and they speak to the very core of my soul. Several of them in particular have been swirling around in my mind since I first listened to the song yesterday ... words my family and friends have said to me in recent months ... my family and friends ... my family and friends who chose to stay, who chose to accept, who chose to encourage, who chose to love ... my family and friends who've stood with me and for me and around me. Thank you for listening and caring and loving ... thank you for not giving up on me when I want to give up on myself ... thank you for believing in me when I don't believe in myself. Thank you for wanting to see me be brave ... thank you for wanting me to show you how big my brave is ... thank you so very, very, very much.
"You can be amazing
You can turn a phrase into a weapon or a drug
You can be the outcast
Or be the backlash of somebody’s lack of love
Or you can start speaking up
Nothing’s gonna hurt you the way that words do
And they settle ‘neath your skin
Kept on the inside and no sunlight
Sometimes a shadow wins
But I wonder what would happen if you
Say what you wanna say
And let the words fall out
Honestly I wanna see you be brave
With what you want to say
And let the words fall out
Honestly I wanna see you be brave
I just wanna see you
I just wanna see you
I just wanna see you
I wanna see you be brave
I just wanna see you
I just wanna see you
I just wanna see you
I wanna see you be brave
Everybody’s been there, everybody’s been stared down
By the enemy
Fallen for the fear and done some disappearing
Bow down to the mighty
Don’t run, stop holding your tongue
Maybe there’s a way out of the cage where you live
Maybe one of these days you can let the light in
Show me how big your brave is
Say what you wanna say
And let the words fall out
Honestly I wanna see you be brave
With what you want to say
And let the words fall out
Honestly I wanna see you be brave
Innocence, your history of silence
Won’t do you any good
Did you think it would?
Let your words be anything but empty
Why don’t you tell them the truth?
Say what you wanna say
And let the words fall out
Honestly I wanna see you be brave
With what you want to say
And let the words fall out
Honestly I wanna see you be brave
I just wanna see you
I just wanna see you
I just wanna see you
I wanna see you be brave"
YouTube --- Brave --- Sara Bareilles --- click here
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