The Meaning of Bravery

The Meaning of Bravery

In my book, brave and stoic

are not synonymous.

Because a three-year-old's

bravery is not calm,

emotionless, or silent.

Yet I always tell her

Maeve rhymes with Brave

because I am trying to teach her

that bravery is just surviving,

getting through to the end.

She cannot hold still for

a flu shot, but she can

know it's coming and yet

scream her way through to

the other side of that pain.

And so after crying and 

even tantrums, I still

reward her for being brave

with orange sorbet and kisses,

because that's my job.

And because I would have cried,

too, if I could have.