At a café on Sunday morning, I discussed with a friend the harrowing experience with my husband in the lake last week after his boat capsized. I asked her if she herself had any life threatening experiences.
She thought for a moment and then spoke about her fear of heights, and how she crossed a scary suspension bridge high above water on a trip. It was a bridge like you see in a movie, where your hands are shaking so much that you make the bridge wobble as you grip the sides.
For my friend, her fear was as real as it was to me while my husband was struggling in the water, screaming for me to help him. Perhaps the other rowers weren’t as worried as we were, since they had more experience knowing how cold the lake water was and where it was deep.
But just like the suspension bridge was to my friend, it was fearful to me.
I write about strong women who face the odds and triumph. History tends to be male-focused, and if there’s recorded history about a woman, she’s done something extraordinary.
We don’t record the feats of quieter women. Yet as I talked to women this past week about the times in their life when they have had to be strong, I heard stories about difficult situations when they had to respond with courage.
You don’t need to make it into the history books to be courageous. Your challenges can be as real to you and those facing, say, Amelia Earhart.
Yes, you may not make it in the history books, but you’re equally as great.