Each month, a member of the board will share a reflection on the Soul Matters monthly theme. The theme for October is Courage. This month’s post is offered by Betty Hartnett. 

Courage (Oxford Dictionary):
1. The ability to do something that frightens one.
2. Strength in the face of pain or grief.

I have never thought of myself as courageous. I always thought of having courage as being bold. And I’m not bold! But as I look at the definitions from Oxford, I see that I have done things that have frightened me, such as being the only child in a family of seven to go off to college at eighteen, basically cut off from family. I had no money or transportation, only a scholarship that covered tuition and books. I am a mother of two and all mothers know that giving birth and raising children involves pain and lots of frightening moments (but always worth it). I learned to ski in my late thirties and for a while I could say, “Black Diamonds beware!” (That thought no longer surfaces, but I still ski.) Continue reading →