Courage

I frequently come across quotes about courage. I don’t have a favorite, but here are a few I like.


"Courage, above all things, is the first quality of a warrior."

"Courage is contagious. When a brave man takes a stand, the spines of others are often stiffened." ~ Billy Graham

"Courage is being scared to death - but saddling up anyway." ~ John Wayne

"You have to accept whatever comes and the only important thing is that you meet it with courage and with the best that you have to give." ~ Eleanor Roosevelt

"I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear." ~ Nelson Mandela

TB is still at a larger base. He called again yesterday to let me know he received another package. He’s receiving mail much faster where he is now. Last week TB joined a group attempting to deliver mail to his home base, but they had to turn back. The infrequent arrival of mail at the home base and the lack of internet access make it difficult for the guys to get items they need. Some of the much larger bases have good PX's and many items available. Apparently it was decided that someone needed to go to the larger base and procure things people need. TB volunteered.

I love that TB shares things with me and that he feels I’m strong enough to handle what he tells me. That brings me full circle to why I’ve been thinking about courage. What is it really? I don’t know for sure. I just know he has it. The roads he has to travel from his base to others are full of dangers; unspeakable, horrible dangers. But he and a few others volunteered to be the ones to go. Now that he is away, he worries about his men and the missions they conduct each day.

Yes, I’m fine with him being where he is for now, chatting several times a day, receiving mail every week, calling me just to talk. But mostly he’s safer – not safe – but safer. The day will come though, when he will make that journey back to his home base and I will be on my knees, praying that his courage is rewarded with a safe trip.