Courage Dear Heart . . .

 

 

I wanted to talk a little bit about courage this  morning.  Courage is a word we use quite often in this life. It is a strength that many of us don't know we have until we are faced with having to overcome or meet a great challenge in our lives.  

Wikepedia describes it thusly: Courage is the choice and willingness to confront agony, pain, danger, uncertainty, or intimidation.

In the Dictionary it is defined as thus:

cour·age /ˈkərij/ 

 noun: 

courage -  the ability to do something that frightens one. "she called on all her courage to face the ordeal" 

strength in the face of pain or grief - "he fought his illness with great courage" 

There are many kinds of courage and many, many examples one could follow.  The scriptures are full of courageous people, and real life is also filled with a great many examples of people who are courageous in the face of real adversity. 

 

 

There are many who think I am/have been very courageous these past weeks.  Maybe so, but I wanted to tell you this morning that the courage I have had to show and draw upon  and use is nothing in comparison to the courage it took for a young woman to speak out against her abuser.  

 

It takes real courage to first of all acknowledge the abuse, and then it takes even more courage to step forward, knowing that you will be facing a difficult and a very uphill battle. This is courage personified.  

 

To have the strength to stand up and say something accustory and painful to or about someone who in all liklihood is very well thought of, by church or community is a very difficult thing to do. And to do it knowing they are going to deny it takes even more courage. And I have to say I greatly admire this young woman who had the strength to stand up and say.  "This person hurt me.  This person has destroyed my life.  This person has stolen things from me that I can never/will never get back." 

To say these things and stick to them, knowing that many will think you are deluded, or making them up, looking for attention, wanting to cause trouble, lying, etc.  That takes real courage. 

To stay strong in the face of such adversity and to not back down.  That takes real courage.

To face your abuser in a court of law and tell them that what they did to you was wrong and how horribly it has impacted your life.  That takes real courage. 

To know that whatever punishment they get will never be enough, and yet to go on despite knowing this. That takes real courage. 

To be able to look in the mirror each day and yet still be able to/have to move forward in life, after having suffered horrific abuse at the hands of another. That takes real courage.

I cannot imagine. I cannot imagine.  

 

I wish I had a way to erase all of the hurt and the pain. I do not. Perhaps one way of dealing with that pain is to become an advocate for others who have suffered the same kind of pain and anguish. 

 

I know this young woman.  I have loved this young woman for many years, and I think she would be a fabulous advocate in time. She is spunky. She is beautiful. She is kind and compassionate.  She is a great mother to her three children and a great daughter to her parents, and if she calls you her friend she is your friend for life.  She deserved none of what happened to her. I truly hope that she will be able to now find some peace in her life and the happiness she so deserves.  Courage dear heart.  Courage.

You are a wonderful example to me and I know you are to many others as well.  Be well. Be happy. Be proud. You were an amazing little girl and you are an amazing woman/mother/daughter/friend.  I only wish I could have protected you.

 

 

Mitzie in her new home.  I am so grateful that Steph has sent me photos of Mitzie. I can tell she has settled in very well and is very content and happy.  Of course it hurts in some ways to see the photos, but it also does my heart good to see them in others, I am so very grateful for them, even if they do make me cry a bit.  

 

I hope that she does not mind me sharing these few with you. Mitzie has found herself a boy to love.   That makes me very happy. I think he loves her too. You can see it.  I have always thought that all boys deserve a dog and that all dogs deserve a boy.  Mitzie has her boy.

 

She sleeps next to his bed every night.  That does my heart good.  You know Mitzie slept next to my side of the bed every night. I loved being able to just reach out and touch her during the night, to stroke her silky ears.  I loved listening to her breathe and her soft little snores. She is so content.  That cheers my heart to no end.  

 

 

I hope I don't embarass her by sharing this.  A Nova Scotia friend dropped a care package off to me yesterday.  I was so surprised and so grateful. 

 

 

The card is stunning. Oh how very happy I am to be back in the land of Marjolein Bastien, where I can buy her notecards, etc. again. I have missed them. A lovely mug with packets of lovely herbal teas. I enjoyed one right away.  Chocolates.  (I also enjoyed one of those right away!  Naughty me I know!)  Three Pumpkin Coffee Cake Muffins.  I had one of those for my supper last night and enjoyed every bite. Two Honey Crisp apples and some great Ontario Cheddar.  I had half of one of the apples last night with some of the cheddar. Simply wonderful. And then there is the plate.  Something to add to my now very depleted food photo prop collection. 

Colleen, this was so very kind of you and it was nice to meet in person finally, albeit from a very great distance and masked.  I thank you very much for brightening my day and look forward to a time we can sit down together and break a few oat cakes together in a few cups of tea and have a good gab.  

 

A thought to carry with you  . . .

 

 ° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •
•。★★ 。* 。
° 。 ° ˛˚˛ * _Π_____*。*˚
˚ ˛ •˛•˚ */______/~＼。˚ ˚ ˛
˚ ˛ •˛• ˚ ｜ 田田 ｜門 ★
 *I now see how owning our story

and loving ourselves through that process

is the bravest thing we will ever do.

~Brene Brown •。★★ 。* 。•。★★ 。* 。 

I can hear leaves dancing across the pavement this morning in the wind.  That is a sound I have missed for far too long.  Leaves rarely dance in the UK.  Too much rain. 

 

 

 

 

Sharing an older recipe today for a Bacon & Egg McMuffin Casserole.  This is from a couple of years ago now, but incredibly delicious.  Enjoy!

Have a beautiful Thursday. Its hard to believe that tomorrow it will be a week since I left the UK.  Time really does fly when you are having fun.  Don't forget! 

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and I do too!