“I wonder what would happen if you say what you want to say and let the words fall out honestly. I wanna see you be brave.”
Sara Bareilles
This is from my new favorite song, by my one of my very favorite musical artists. “Brave” is a song about speaking up against those who push us down, standing up for what we believe is right, and being, well, brave – in the face of challenge.
My son sings this song and plays it for me often lately. I introduced him to it, but it has become something of a theme song for him, and I find myself thinking about what it might mean for him to internalize this message at the age of 9. This is much earlier in his life than I learned it in mine, and I am happy seeing the words resonate with him so deeply.
What we deal with at the Children’s Advocacy Center each day is something that takes huge amounts of bravery, for everyone involved. The kids who are brave enough to share the unspeakable things that happen to them inspire and challenge us all to act in their defense. The non-offending family members who hear them and believe them show bravery in the face of many challenges they will have to face as “secrets” become visible to a larger audience.
Our staff members, the law enforcement officers, the Child Welfare workers and all others who come into contact with them show bravery every day as they help these children and teens find their voices so they can talk about what happened to them and begin to heal. Sometimes this means being part of confronting people who hurt children. Sometimes the ones who hurt children and are the ones who are supposed to take care of them and protect them.
Bravery is needed by everyone.
“Show me how big your brave is.”
How big is your brave? I have been asking myself this question lately.
This blog is about creativity, transformation, and healing. Right now I am thinking about the fact that all acts of creativity and healing require a certain level of bravery. They require us to move beyond what is already in place and create something new. To say something that must be said. To risk putting things out in the world even if we have no idea how they will be received.
“I wonder what would happen if you say what you want to say and let the words fall out honestly. I wanna see you be brave.”
What do you need to be brave about? And how big is your brave? I am going to keep thinking about that for a long time. I want my son to see me live my life
with a very
big
brave.