Courage is taking a leap
into love
commitment
Motherhood
Courage is forgiving
freely
and forgetting
moving forward
Courage is starting each day
fresh
without the weight
of yesterday’s failures
or hurdles
or burdens
Courage is being the best woman I can be
the best partner I can be
the best Mother I can be
and not apologizing for not being better
*******
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Absolutely lovely. I don’t think enough of we wives and mothers realize the courage it takes to do what we do everyday.
I just found you today, and am very pleased to be here. Thank you for coming up with such a meaningful meme.
.-= Kisha Floren´s last blog ..Courage =-.
That is an amazing poem. It’s something I need to read every day.
This was great! I love the last four lines…I like how you say that you won’t apologize for not being better–it reminded me to take a big sigh & not put so much pressure on mommyhood! I just linked up, glad I’m getting to join in!
So beautiful–and such a helpful mantra to tuck away for safekeeping, too. I had someone tell me once, when I was complaining about not being a better mom, that the only better mom my kids could have is the mom I am tomorrow. But it does take such courage to believe that!
.-= Diana´s last blog ..There’s courage in that there lovey =-.
courage is… “not apologizing for not being better” Yes. Oh, how I need to hear this and to live it. A friend told me earlier this week, “You need to have one day where you don’t feel guilty.” Funny how this takes courage, but it does: the courage to believe in your actions, the first time around.
.-= Kathryn @ Marbury v Madison Ave´s last blog ..Courage: For my Mother =-.
It does take courage not to apologize for being the best version of yourself you can be. Thanks for writing this, Jen.
.-= Meagan Francis´s last blog ..Five for Ten: The Courage To Mother =-.
Oh, wow! I love this!
.-= Mama Zen´s last blog ..How To Ruin A Play Date =-.
I really like this idea of not apologizing for not being more. We do what we can, and that’s all we can do. We should be proud of what we’ve accomplished instead of always beating ourselves up over what wasn’t done, or what wasn’t done well enough.
.-= Jana@Attitude Adjustment´s last blog ..Being Brave =-.
What a great perspective on courage. I love the line about starting each day fresh! And I agree, it takes courage to forgive. I just wrote a post about courage on Mother’s day. Nice to meet you! Looking forward to reading more.
I love the poem. Especially the part about starting each day fresh. There are no do overs and dwelling on the past doesn’t help make it better. Thanks for that reminder:)
.-= Heather´s last blog ..Courage to admit =-.
I swear I didn’t read this before I wrote my post. Obviously, we are on the same page. Literally, this week.
.-= Mama´s last blog ..Courage =-.
Oh, those last lines got me right where it hurts:
“And not appologizing for not being better.”
How often I find myself saying “I’m sorry it’s not …” or “I’m sorry I cannot do more.”
That really does rob the day, the soul of courage, doesn’t it.
Beautiful thoughts, sentiments. So glad I’m participating in this round.
.-= Hyacynth´s last blog ..Five for Ten: Running into courage =-.
i guess i will have to be satisfied with echoing everyone else’s thoughts. i love the starting fresh part. and the part about no apologizing. so very true. and important to keep in the front of our (over achieving) minds! thanks for the poem and thanks for this whole thing!
.-= kate´s last blog ..courage =-.
This is great poem! I love the part about starting the day fresh. It makes all the difference. Doesn’t it?
.-= Debbi´s last blog ..My first mother’s weekend. =-.
I think I might print this out and put it up on my fridge.
“Courage is starting each day fresh without the weight of yesterdays failures”
Could not be more perfectly put!
.-= Jane Swinglehurst´s last blog ..Wanted: Courage needed in 4 – 6 weeks =-.
Oh I love this part: Courage is starting each day fresh/without the weight
of yesterday’s failures/or hurdles/or burdens
I needed to read that tonight. (Soooo stressed by deadlines right now.)
Anyway, I can’t commit to writing on your 5 for 10 topics, but know that I’m hear reading and loving Momalom. <3
.-= Elizabeth (@claritychaos)´s last blog ..grace and connection =-.
I meant ‘here’. Not ‘hear’. And to think I almost wrote ‘write now’ instead of ‘right now’. I think it’s time for bed. :)
.-= Elizabeth (@claritychaos)´s last blog ..grace and connection =-.
Courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, “I will try again tomorrow.” Mary Anne Radmacher
A wife’s quiet courage
Isn’t measured by her stunning looks
Or by the gourmet meals she cooks
Or by the household chores she does
Or by the young girl she once was
Not by the job she used to have
Not by the breasts that suddenly sag
Not by dreams that are a thing of the past
Not by the love she prays will last
The quiet courage of a wife abounds
In ways not easily found
In the moments when her husband’s wrong
And she bites her tongue so he’ll feel strong
And when she wants to break down and cry
But smiles instead to keep the lie alive
She works to keep the emotions at bay
But knows this is the hand she must play
When perfection’s no longer the prize
When you don’t care how you look in their eyes
When at the end of the day you feel sorrow
But have faith in a better tomorrow
When you don’t flee from the daily strife
That’s the quiet courage of a wife
A mother’s quiet courage
Isn’t measured by her kids’ success
Or by their negotiable cuteness
Or by the private school they’re in
Or by their soccer team that wins
Not by the perfect house she keeps
Not by the profanity she tries to bleep
Not by the stylishness she strives to maintain
Not by the popularity she hopes to attain
The quiet courage of a mother abounds
In ways not easily found
In moments when the food’s almost gone
And hungry mom says she wanted none
And when the money is tight
She goes without – never putting up a fight
When she wants to drown her pain in wine
But prays that tomorrow things will be fine
When she’s there for everyone else
When she has no time for herself
When she thinks she can not win
Wants to quit, give up, give in
When with all this you’d trade places with no other
That’s the quite courage of a mother
This is so wonderful. Thank you!
Courage is “not apologizing for not being better.” I can’t tell you how much I needed to hear this at this moment. Thank you, Jen.
I will “start this day fresh” and be thankful for the blessings that inspire me to find courage in myself.
.-= Stacia´s last blog ..Five for Ten: Courage =-.
Jen- This is beautiful and simple and profound and true. I am particularly struck by the last bit about apologies. Indeed it takes immense courage – and is so important – to move forward through our moments and through our days without apologizing at every turn for our inevitable shortcomings.
God, the not apologizing is the hardest part … at least for me. Not feeling that I SHOULD apologize.
.-= Lindsey´s last blog ..The introverted Connector =-.
Jen,
All too often, we fail ourselves for not accepting ourselves as we truly are. We work towards perfection, but really, who is perfect? And more importantly, why do we want to be perfect?
Big hugs to you! We can only be the best we can be. Nothing more, nothing less, and we have to find the beauty in that. That is courage.
.-= Maria´s last blog ..Like the Cowardly Lion, I want Courage =-.
I love the piece about courage being “forgiving freely”. Sometimes it takes great courage to move forward and let the past be the past.
.-= Anne´s last blog ..Happy Right Now =-.
It’s taking me some courage to write this, but I just don’t have the TIME to respond to all of you individually. But, again, thank you thank you. For your kind words. Not to mention all of YOUR wonderful posts on courage. Yikes. I think I still have a few to catch up on. Is that #99 I see up there? OH NO, I’m shirking my Five for Ten responsibilities. And off I go …
“and not apologizing for not being better”
LOVE that line!
.-= Gibby´s last blog ..Happiness =-.
Just laughed out loud when I read the note at the bottom of the post – the one about not spending all day on the computer, reading blogs. It’s so tempting! Thank goodness for the children – if they weren’t so needy all the time, I would be completely sucked in by Five for Ten! ;)
Those are things I try to do everyday. Sometimes they do take a large dose of courage!
.-= Charlotte´s last blog ..Lump of coal for Mother’s Day? =-.
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