The Costume of Courage

As most of the USA celebrates Halloween, this day gave me some different thoughts I wanted to expound on this morning. Halloween is a day when many people go overboard, sometimes way overboard, coming up with a costume to impress their friends. This started me thinking that most of us wear a costume in our daily lives and in many cases that costume involves courage. These are challenging times and being brave and courageous is one thing, but I think many of us have a bold facade and are really afraid. I can honestly say that some days I have that face of courage but behind that mask is a feeling of squeamishness. This really started me thinking as I finished reading the book “The Mosquito Bowl“. While the book is a little about football and a game played on Guadalcanal in World War 2, the book goes much deeper into the lives of the men who fought in the island hopping invasions and the courage they embodied while fighting a fierce enemy. Many of these young men never made it home, but that did not keep them from showing courage in almost everything they did.

As we fight as a society to leave the grips of the pandemic and the emotional toll continues to challenge most of our society, I encourage you to lower your mask and share with others if your courage is low. There is great comfort in this vulnerability and it also provides opportunities for each of us to support one another.

Costumes may be great for Halloween, but I encourage you to keep the mask of courage away from your face. Share your thoughts and feelings with those who know you well and don’t be afraid to share your vulnerability and concerns with others.