Do you consider yourself brave?

[DawnMarch]

I was just listening to a news story about regular people (one was a welder, another a sausage-maker) in Ukraine who were arming themselves to fight for their country. I'm amazed at people like this (and people who join the armed forces, in general) because I'm a big chicken and I don't know if I could ever physically fight someone. I remember watching Saving Private Ryan and thinking -- why don't they just run away?

What about you? Do you consider yourself brave? If your country were invaded, do you think you would you stay to fight or try to get out of the way? Are there times you've had to stand up and be brave? I suspect that many of us as moms would be brave if necessary for the sake of our kids, if pushed.

[jaye]

I do but I don't, however others have said I am. I have battled stage 3 cancer twice and managed to come out on the other side. Two years in for this second go round with only surgery to finish it all up.

If needed I would definitely step up, but if I had young children my first priority would be to protect them, and if it meant fleeing then that is what I would do. I also consider that brave as well because either way you are taking a chance.

[Pachimac]

I think bravery is something one only knows when you are put in a situation where you have to be brave. The comfortable person sitting here in an air conditioned home playing on a 27" iMac says I'd be too scared to defend my country and my family. In the situation, I believe that God will give me the grace and the strength to do whatever is necessary.

[Karen_]

Oh gosh! I don't know. I'm pretty sure I'd have to actually be in that situation to know what I would do. I think I would default to making sure my kids were safe first. I do so admire the people who turn into the fight.

[jacinda]

Yes I would fight, but then I'm ex-military, so that obviously has some bearing on it. We were talking about it with our 15 yr old the other day. I think we all would fight for our country and our freedom. And if we couldn't fight, we would help however we could.

[Cherylny]

I would definitely fight!

[knittingbec]

Last year or the year before, I read the book Girl at War by Sara Novic. It really hit me. I was absolutely astounded at how a girl-- my age-- was going through life in Yugoslavia in 1991 while I was riding my bike, playing Barbies, watching Full House etc. safe at home. I can't imagine myself doing any of it...but I don't think many people do until they have to.

[lovely1m]

I am in the military and I do a job that carries a gun at work. I would obviously have no problem joining a fight, but I don't think that is the only way to judge bravery. It's what I do, it's what I have trained for. That's different.

[lovely1m]

Originally Posted by knittingbec

Last year or the year before, I read the book Girl at War by Sara Novic. It really hit me. I was absolutely astounded at how a girl-- my age-- was going through life in Yugoslavia in 1991 while I was riding my bike, playing Barbies, watching Full House etc. safe at home. I can't imagine myself doing any of it...but I don't think many people do until they have to.

Oh, thank you for the book suggestion! I love finding historical fiction books about different time periods than WW2 (not that I don't read those, too).

[MegCreations]

That part of the news honestly brought me to tears. It's so selfless and such patriotism. Really awesome to see. I'd probably not volunteer as I have littles to think about but I would sure defend them.

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[joelsgirl]

It's so wretched what's going on in Ukraine. I can't imagine getting on a bus with my daughter and leaving my teenage sons and husband to fight. The stories coming out of there make me feel so helpless. I understand that nobody wants a world war with a nuclear power like Russia, but it seems like Russia isn't giving us a choice.

I'm not brave; I don't like to do new things without someone to hold my hand. But there are lots of things I do, like living my entire adult like overseas in three different countries, that other people would call brave and I would call normal. I think that if push came to shove, I would probably show up. At least, I hope I would.

[Leah]

This would be an inspirational idea to scrap about!

I would consider myself brave...but only if I dig deep and think about it.
I left my marriage, in the middle of getting my degree. That was brave. I got a permanent teaching position. Brave. I teach small kids. Brave. I raised my own three children, alone. Brave. I shop at Walmart. Brave.

If my country were invaded, I'd like to think that I'd stand up and fight for it. I am proud of where I live and I would fight for that.

There are things that I am terrified of, naturally. Things I would never do because I am scared. But that's okay.

[LeeAndra]

In the last 12 months, I have survived and recovered from multiple pulmonary embolisms, left a toxic relationship, bought my first house, embraced my child's coming-out, and fallen in love and allowed myself to be vulnerable enough to be known & understood & loved.

So, yes, I consider myself brave.

I'm an Enneagram 1 so I would not be able to look my children in the eyes or look myself in the mirror if I did not fight for what I believe to be right. I would do everything I could to avoid having to be on the front lines and actually kill someone but if I had to defend myself or my loved ones from injury or death, I would do so.

[LJSDesigns]

Truthfully, I have discovered that I am as brave as I need to be in any given situation, but I don't really think myself as brave. I just do what needs to be done at the moment. So I guess if something like fighting needed to be done, I would do it, but only because I "had" to.

Of course, I am a total mama bear when it comes to my kid and will get in anyone's face if they are threatening him in some way. Even now, that he is grown, 6'5, a weight lifter and well able to take care of himself, I will still get between him and any "treat." It drives him nuts, not only because he can protect himself, but because he is very protective of women in general, but me in particular.

[Sherri Tierney]

Interesting question.

I have done brave things. I don't consider myself brave. I think my definition of bravery is different from others though. I do consider myself strong. Perhaps the two are very similar.