Courage

     According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary the meaning of courage is “mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty.”

     At this time many are celebrating the 50^th anniversary of man’s journey to the moon.  There on July 20, 1969 astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin truly went “where no man had gone before.”  They step upon the lunar surface and fulfilled the proposed venture made by President Kennedy about eight years earlier to put a man on the moon before the end of the decade.

     It took courage for these brave men, along with astronaut Michael Collins, to sit atop a Saturn V rocket at the Kennedy Space Center and be propelled into the vastness of space.  Their courage and reliance upon a vast crowd of scientist, engineers, mathematicians, and others that had worked hard and long to make this trip a reality was a sure sign of their faith in the NASA project.  However, they still had to personally make the decision to put themselves into that capsule and courageously put their faith into action.

     We do not have to put ourselves into such a situation to show that we as everyday individuals have the courage we need to face our personal day to day life problems.  Another dictionary includes the following as part of the definition of courage: “the ability to do something that frightens one.”  Or “strength in the face of pain or grief.”

     Young or old, every day we face challenges in our lives that make us frightened.  Some of those situations bring us pain or grief.  We need courage to face these situations and we need the help and assistance of others.  Just as those three astronauts became household names of “fame” by making that historic journey to the moon, they could not have done it alone.  They had the help of thousands!  We too need to build around us a support group of friends, family, and others who will be there when we need them.  And there will be times when we do.  There will also be times when they need our support.

     Regardless of the situations we must face each day, we can take courage and know that others have faced similar situations and have come off victorious.  We too can have the courage to face these things and come out a winner!

QUOTE TO CONSIDER

THOUGHTFUL GEM

"To face the unknown

is the greatest challenge.

Courage is what make it possible."