How to Be a Brave Mom

Being a mom is hard. It’s a blessing. It’s a gift. But it is hard. The choices we have to make on a daily basis are astounding and the stakes are high. Being given a beautiful child to care for is such an awesome responsibility, it’s easy to get overwhelmed and second-guess even the simplest decisions. But moms need to brave. It’s a job requirement. Here are some thoughts to find your own courage.

[clickToTweet tweet=”Moms need to brave. It’s a job requirement.” quote=”Moms need to brave. It’s a job requirement.”]

When a child is learning to walk, three things will happen:

1. He will fall.

2. He will be OK.

3. He will get up and walk again.

Even though it was me, kneeling down with outstretched arms and encouraging words, it was my children who taught me how to walk.

Naturally, I had mastered the physical skill during my own childhood, but somewhere along the line, I’d lost my comfort with falling down. I’d forgotten how to pick myself up again and keep going. I became timid. Hesitant. Afraid of making the wrong move.

My Child Taught Me to Be Brave

Last year, after one too many skinned knees, Max turned to me in tearful exasperation and bemoaned, “Every time I fall down it hurts!”  “Every time?” he wondered.

It occurred to me how often falling down was a part of his life. It is a daily experience for a child. Can you imagine? I haven’t physically wiped out in a long time, but in other ways, I’ve fallen flat on my face many, many times. It’s hard to keep working towards a goal when nothing seems to pan out, or to recover from a gaffe with egg on my face. Somewhere along the line, I just stopped moving. I became stagnate in my anxiety.

Motherhood jolted that right out me.

There isn’t time to indulge fears when little ones desperately need you. Besides that, I was under constant surveillance. Two sets of two little eyes observe and record every move I make.

Or don’t make.

It was my job to teach them to walk, so I had to first push myself past my own fear of falling down. I had to show them how to make that delightfully terrifying free-fall into life by example. I needed to move forward, go after my dreams and risk falling down. In fact, I had to fall down in front of my kids in order to teach them how to dust themselves off and try again.

[clickToTweet tweet=”I had to fall down in front of my kids in order to teach them how to dust themselves off and try again.” quote=”I had to fall down in front of my kids in order to teach them how to dust themselves off and try again.”]

It was my littlest, giggling after he toppled over and immediately scrambling to his feet, who reminded me of something important.

We are born brave.

We are born with faith.

Finding Bravery Inside of Faith

Ultimately, every step we take is a leap of faith.  At times we have to jump without knowing where we will land.  Even if we can’t see the ground we walk on, we must move forward.  Like a player on a football team, we must run to where we think the ball will be even before it is thrown.  That’s faith.  And that’s how to live a good life: to trust that something good will happen and get yourself ready to catch it.

Throw your heart in front of your body and run to catch it.  (Arab proverb)

These days I walk forward because my hands are full.  My left palm cradles my oldest son’s hand, my right reaches low to hold my baby’s.  I walk forward because I am leading them towards the future, and more importantly into the glorious present.  I can’t let go just to wring my hands, and hem and haw at my worries.

I am their guide, and I must safely usher them towards a time and place I will never see. If that’s not an act of bravery, if that’s not an act of faith, I don’t know what it.