I don’t know about you, but I’m feeling…

…like I’m still sometimes treading that thin line between brave and stupid. Know what I mean?

Only now I get to tread that line with my kids, who are treading that line because they’re kids. And, for parents, every time a kiddo treads a line, including the line between brave and stupid, the parent(s) are along for the thrill ride. It’s like being 22, all over again, only different.

So, here we are, on the 22nd day of December, trying to figure out “all the things,” as the vernacular would have it. And the do-one-thing work for today, “think of someone in your life who makes you feel BRAVE,” will likely land very differently today for everyone.

And yet, if I were guessing, it might land very similarly. Because I’d wager that, for very many of us, bravery stems from a desire to protect someone or something so precious that the desire overcomes fear — including fear that might be well-reasoned and prudent. Being brave is an instinct in those situations.

Now try turning that inward. What if you were brave, not on behalf of someone you care deeply about, but for yourself? What courage have you been trying to summon, and to what end?

You might also ask yourself, if you’re anything like me: Is moving forward brave or stupid? It’s hard to know the difference sometimes. Sometimes we’re brave; sometimes we’re stupid. What I choose to believe is this: We’re all just doing the best we can, in the moment.

Also: If growing up were easy, it wouldn’t take so long. (Why yes, that is a line from the classic holiday film, “An American Tail: Fievel Goes West.” It’s one of my favorite lines and favorite movies. Of course it is.)

Anyway, today, just for a minute, and in the interest of summoning both inner strength and sanity, think of someone who makes (or has made) you feel brave, and then, for the bonus add-on, imagine having that person beside you, right now (if they are not close by, in real life). What might you feel brave enough to do, if that person were by your side? Is the fear that’s holding you back a lack of bravery or a prudent voice of reason? Having that person beside you, even in your mind, might help you sort through that.

Remember, the experiment here is an inward look, thinking about being brave on your on behalf and not for someone else. If you do this one correctly, it will likely be harder than you thought it was going to be.

See you tomorrow. On the 23rd. Two days before Christmas. A week and a day before we head into ’22. Wow.

P.S. – I promised I’d offer the link to the full December Sanity Journal in every post, didn’t I? And even though you know what it is now, and you probably don’t need the link, I’m keeping my promise.