Hear me ROAR.
Growing up, I heard many breathtaking tales of Courage in my world history lessons:
Ms. Rosa Parks sitting where she wanted to on a bus.
A lone student protester standing in front of the advancing military tanks in Tiananmen Square, China.
Corrie ten Boom & her family helping Jewish people hide from Nazis & consequently enduring Nazi Prison Camps themselves.
The United States colonies revolting against British control.
These are amazing examples of just how strong the human will can be to withstand death, persecution, torture in the name of doing what is right.
Alongside these amazingly famous stories in human history of remarkable Courage, are the ones that we experience everyday.
I am touched personally by these and find that human kindness and compassion are limitless and create a Courage that soothes others:
Flashback to when I was 9 years old. My Grandma would tie my long Asian hair up in two high piggy tails. Riding home on the school bus one day, one of our neighbors' sons, kept yanking my pig tails so hard behind my seat, that he kept lifting me off my seat and pulling my head back over the top of my bus seat. When we got off the bus, my good friend, Jean Terry (now Cullen), chased him around his yard, and punched him..really good. Being an only child, I didn't know how to process the physical & emotional pain, so I went home and cried to my Grandma. But the tears were less because I had that one friend, Jean, that stood up for me; she made me feel worthy of being alive. Her Courage soothed my hurting heart.
Fast forward to 2007. After my divorce at the age of 37, I wanted to experience "going out". You see, going to a 6-year BA-MD medical school program between the ages of 18 - 23 left me very "socially retarded" as all I did was study straight through those 6 years of medical school with no summer breaks.
So dating then was really fun! I remember going downtown to meet my boyfriend at one of the bars. I walked in not knowing anyone there since he had not gotten there yet. So awkwardly, I pretended my best to be comfortable being there with no where to sit and not really knowing how to behave in a bar. Saved again! One of my patients came rushing over and said, "Dr. Su!!!" I'm so happy to see you!!! Why don't you sit here! and suddenly I wasn't alone. Her Courage soothed my loneliness.
Fast forward several more years, I see and hear stories of Courage almost everyday.
My husband's family fleeing from Cuba during the Cuban Revolution having had all their money confiscated by Dictator Fidel Castro and having to sew all the jewelry they could hid in their skirts. And out of desperation, my husband's mother entrusted her 6 month-old baby (my husband) to a young woman who was a total stranger since they could not take him safely to the United States themselves. This woman would proceed to fly my husband to Spain and then, as agreed upon, would miraculously give my husband back to his mother at the agreed upon date in Miami a few months later. Their Courage strengthens me.
My Dad flying from Taiwan to the United States to begin his OB/GYN Residency training at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota in 1969. His flight was a 23 hour-long flight and after landing at the airport in Minneapolis, he was dropped off at his dormitory at 2am by his Residency Program Director who then proceeded to tell him, "See you in 2 hours for Medical Patient Rounds." My Dad could not even speak English well. His Courage inspires me.
Fast forward to recent times: a young mother who is undergoing chemotherapy shares her journey publicly on social media. She includes stark details about the realities of cancer treatment even personalizing it by sharing how her 2 year-old daughter was speechless when she initially saw her without hair but she continued to be comforting to her daughter. Her Courage amazes me.
These examples make me ROAR when I am exhausted, lonely, persecuted, sick, poor, and scared. I ROAR because of these and many more stories.
Please feel free to share with me your stories of Courage in the comments below.
Let us all ROAR... for we all have a human Spirit inside of each of us that wants to do just that.
As always, Look with Intention
XO, Jen