Courage, the ability to act or speak out despite our fears, undergirds all the other virtues. It allows us to face danger or adversity, to defend and promote the good, and to persevere in a cause to the end.
Most of us have met the lion in the path and known the sickening fear of that encounter. Courage alone can rescue us and keep us moving forward.
Such courage wears many hats. The soldier who falls on a grenade to save his comrades, the teenager who stands beside his friend against a pack of bullies, the single mom who every morning sends her children off to school and herself off to work, the infirm grandmother determined to bring a ray of sunshine to her caregivers: all display grit and bravery.
Whatever battles you are fighting, dear readers, and we are all fighting one battle or another, take heart, seek out your inner strength and fortitude, and carry on. In the words of Winston Churchill, “Never flinch, never weary, never despair.”
Gather your courage and press ahead.