The Miss Elaine-ous Life

random acts of life, family and photos

BRAVE

by

Over the weekend I sent my boys off to their friends’ house less than a block away, on their bikes.  I watched as they made it to the end of our street and turned the corner, out of my sight.

My oldest was  thrilled to go off on his own, to his friends’ house alone.  He is brave like that.

But my younger son, although excited as well, was somewhat anxious too.  Before he made it to the corner he came back to me three times, unsure of this or that and then requesting his jacket at the third time. “I just want to be warm, Mom”, he said.  He finally went and was brave too.  But I could totally relate to his hesitation.  Sometimes that first step (or pedal) is the hardest.

And I was brave too, in a way, to let them go.  It is not far at all, they did not even go near a busy street and my friend (their friends’ mom) sent me a text right away to let me know they had arrived safely.

But still, sometimes it is hard to let them go, where you cannot see or hear or tell.

 

photo (11)

 

Later that evening we headed to the Dairy Queen 20 minutes away to enjoy some delicious ice cream as a family.  During the drive we had time to talk about dreams for this year and listen to music.  As we were about to arrive at the small town ice cream eatery a song came on the radio that perked up both Tim’s ears and mine.  We had never heard it before but we liked it right away.  I tried to find it on iTunes but everyone was ready to bail out of the van and into the restaurant to get their treat and I put my phone away (working on that in the new year…)

The next morning Tim thought of the song again and asked me to find it as we were driving to church.

The song is called “Brave” and it is sung by Sara Bareilles.  This video made me laugh through tears and I simply cannot stop watching it.  I want to be friends with everyone in it. 🙂

 

 

The words struck something inside of me, especially these:

“Everybody’s been there,
Everybody’s been stared down by the enemy
Fallen for the fear
And done some disappearing,
Bow down to the mighty
Don’t run, just stop holding your tongue
Maybe there’s a way out of the cage where you live
Maybe one of these days you can let the light in
Show me how big your brave is”

 

I want to discover how big MY brave is.

I want to let go of old demons and say what I want to say and MEAN it.

I want to do good for others and and stand up for them.

I want to put myself out there like I never have before.

I want to feel Brave.

 

I have very little idea how I am going to do this yet.  But I do feel like this is a call, so to speak, and a time for me to be more brave than I have ever been in my life.

So I guess this is my word for the year, if I chose to choose one, yes, this would be it.

 

Are you brave? If so, how? 

I wanna see you be Brave.

😀

 

p.s. Old School Blogging is up again this week!  Join us for a 2013 Recap link up! 

 

 

Comments

    • Thank you and so glad you are going to join me! I feel like I am already going there a bit with LTYM but there is more to be done! xo

  2. Maybe my favorite post on choosing a word for the New Year! My kids and I love this song too – it’s so empowering. We have new neighbors across the street and their son is in 5th grade. I heard the mom call off to him, “do you have your phone? Be home by 5!” as he rode off on his bike with a friend and I felt this fear in the pit of my stomach…Andrew will be there before I know it and I can’t even imagine it. BRAVE for sure!
    Meagan recently posted…Caroline’s HaircutMy Profile

  3. We live near our downtown and I remember the first time I let my kids walk down with friends and then by themselves. I am so glad they have phones so I can check in with them. I know we have to let them have some independence but it’s so hard when they are out of your sight, especially in the beginning!

      • They got them young. It kind of sounds ridiculous but it gave us peace of mind because with their sports schedules there was always a kid not with us. And these days it truly is a lifesaver. I think they were all around 5th-6th grade. The funny thing is my oldest, who is 16, hardly uses his at all. He pretty much uses it to call us to tell us when to pick him up (doesn’t have his license yet)…he barely texts. And some of his friends are the same way.
        Michelle recently posted…2013 Top Posts: A Few SurprisesMy Profile

  6. I hope you have a brave year,m Elaine! And as far as letting those kids go off on their bikes alone…it’s brave for them and brave for you. I think letting go is one of the bravest things we have to do as parents.
    Ilene recently posted…A Modern Family ChristmasMy Profile

    • Kids are wonderful inspiration for bravery, that is for sure! And I hope you’re right on that last part… 🙂

  8. Brave is such a great word. Cady and I talk about being brave all the time. I always tell her that being brave isn’t about not being afraid. It is about being afraid and doing it anyway. Now I need to learn to live that.
    Jennifer recently posted…Word for the Year – FinishMy Profile

  9. My brave…is learning coding this year! That stuff is complicated!

    haha!

    In all seriousness, I think my brave this year will be to accept that what I am doing, what I have done, is enough. As a mother, as a friend, as a professional…not that I won’t aspire to do more, but that it’s ok to not always be full-force all. the. time. I see glimmers of days where I am willing to slow down, cut myself a break, and be easier on myself. There’s hope for me yet. 🙂

    Side note: Totally feel you on the out-of-site thing. I hardly ever let it happen with my oldest. Thankfully, the two friends my oldest wants to see the most live across the street and I can watch her cross over from our front window.
    Nicole @MTDLBlog recently posted…My 2014: A Year of FocusMy Profile

    • Good luck with the coding stuff, that IS brave – ha!

      And good for you on cutting yourself some slack, SO important!

      Happy New Year, Nicole!

  10. Love that song. My favorite line is “Show me how big your brave is.” The kids and I sing along all the time in the car.

    I think brave is a good word. It can encompass so many things

  11. I do like that song! And I find it hard to let my boys go and be independent. Granted they are three and one but when I was visiting my family over the holidays my brother took my oldest on a ride in the tractor. My first reaction was no in my head but my husband said yes. Even though they weren’t far they were out of sight…and I felt that little tug of how it is going to be as he gets older.
    Natalie recently posted…New Year, New AspirationsMy Profile

  13. awesome post. I want to be brave this year too. I just read something today that said we’re only really happy when we’re growing and we’re only really growing if we’re outside our normal comfort zone. So, initial discomfort leads to bigger and greater happiness. Yeah, I want to be brave with you. xo.
    sarah reinhart recently posted…52 weeks of simple joyMy Profile

    • I need to find a little bit of that discomfort even if I don’t want to. great words, Sarah!

  15. I love that song so much. My boys and I always sing it when we hear it on the radio. The lyrics are so empowering – it makes me want to be brave, too. Because sometimes I don’t feel very brave – as a mother or as a person.
    I love your word and am so excited to see where it takes you this year, Elaine!
    Kim@Co-Pilot Mom recently posted…Their TimeMy Profile

    • I don’t feel it that much either but I know I am in some ways, but that I (we) just don’t always recognize it as that, you know? Thanks, Kim!

  16. I’ve been loving on this song for awhile! Thanks for sharing the video!
    Do you follow @ThisIsMyBrave? Jennifer Marshall did a Kickstarter for it. It’s about HER brave, and she’s doing a live show (similar to the idea of LTYM, but only about people’s experiences w/ mental illnesses). Jennifer has bipolar, and this is her brave. SO this post resonates with me, and I bet you’d like to see what she’s doing, too.

    And this also makes me wonder about MY brave. I don’t feel very brave lately and I’d like to work on that.

    xoxo
    erin margolin recently posted…Top Eight Grammar MistakesMy Profile

    • Yes, I remember you talking about it FB and maybe your blog too? And now Jennifer and I are twitter “friends”. 🙂

      You ARE brave, Erin. VERY.

      xoxo

  17. My kids are 2 and 4 so the idea of sending them off alone is foreign, though putting my little guy on the school bus for the first time this past September was hard! Brave is good. Good luck!
    Life of K recently posted…Books from 2013My Profile

  18. Yes! I mentioned that song a while back in my running post. I love that song. That was Gracie’s song for a while (until we got sick of hearing it on the radio every five minutes).

    It is so hard. That letting go. I push my kids to be brave but on the inside I’M FREAKING OUT! This parenting stuff is not for the faint of heart!
    Lovely post, Elaine!
    Kat recently posted…Starting Out ColdMy Profile

  21. This is the second time I’ve heard that song today! The lyrics are so great, and the beat is good too! I have a post tomorrow that kinda touches upon me searching for the bravery and momentum I had late last year, but I lost it in the festive fun. I feel it coming back, and in part today, thanks to you!
    I also can’t wait for OSB. I am so ready for it! I’m trying to get lots of good posts scheduled for when we’re in Disney.
    Tamara recently posted…When Will My Life Begin?My Profile

    • Oh wow, thanks Jenn! So glad Erin sent you here too. I hope to find as much brave as you have. Happy New Year to you as well! 🙂

  23. Brave is a great word and I LOVE that song. I was lucky enough to hear Sara Bareilles perform it live in October. Such a powerful and positive message. I can’t wait to see your BRAVE in 2014, my friend.
    Tonya recently posted…All My Bags Are PackedMy Profile

    • I don’t understand why I did not hear this song sooner, that’s really cool that you got to see her perform!

  28. LOVE THIS! That song is so incredible, too. The being brave part is very hard. Kay is outside right now clearing off her car and making sure it starts in anticipation of driving to school tomorrow. On roads the police have said to stay off of for the past 2 days. It’s hard to watch them grow up.
    Bari recently posted…2013 Races in Review: the Year of the Half #runchatMy Profile

  29. Brave.. surviving everyone, including me in the house having the flu. Brave, riding with my permit only son and not leaping out in the first slow spot where the smallest wound might be a bruise. Not clinging to the door handle when I ride with someone else and not panicking at the sight of a car coming the opposite direction, an issue I have had get worse since the wreck. So many things I can do… will do..
    Southern Angel recently posted…Dear young women of todayMy Profile

  32. I’m ridiculously in love with that song and seek — and belt — it out, too!

    I love how very brave you all were.

    I’m brave in some ways, and not so much in others. So it goes, yes?

    Great post, friend!

    xo
    Galit Breen recently posted…Back at itMy Profile

  33. I’m reading this and watching Sara Bareilles perform “Brave” on the People’s Choice Awards. I guess I was meant to read this post at this moment. But I love this. That first moment when they are out of view – oh my heart. I don’t know if I’m ready for that. I also love your choice of word. I want to be brave in all those ways and can’t wait to see where 2014 will take you.
    Christine @ Love, Life, Surf recently posted…How we tell storiesMy Profile

  34. OMG. I love this post. And I adore Sara Bareilles. And this song, too, but I hadn’t seen the video until just now. Hopefully I’m not the only one who laughed AND cried, because I’m sitting here blubbering like a fool. Great word…can’t wait to see what your year brings!
    Lisa recently posted…Reverb 13 Day 15 & 16: TetheredMy Profile

    • Oh you’re definitely not the only one! I did the SAME thing! It does that to you. ha!

      Thanks so much!

  35. Brave is one of my favorites songs of the year and I adore Sara, she comes from the A Capella world and her voice just blows me away.

    I think you are BRAVE, to me looking at you, hugging you and knowing you in real life, I feel like you are one of the BRAVEST women I know…but I will gladly cheer you along this year as you find more BRAVE things.

    what a beautiful way to start a year.
    xox
    Kir recently posted…Treasures: The Old School Blogging Recap of 2013My Profile

  36. It’s funny but “brave” seems to be a reoccurring theme in our lives too. I keep finding myself telling Jackson to be “brave”, him and I both have a hard time being brave. Good luck with your word.
    Julia recently posted…This ChristmasMy Profile

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