Monday, May 10, 2010

Courage through Generations!

I am not very good at following directions, and I am equally bad at attempting anything technological, but after reading Jen and Sarah's blog www.momalom.com and the clever idea they have put into motion, called Five for Ten, I am determined to try to be a part of the conversation. Today’s topic is COURAGE. So here goes…

I have thought about courage a lot in my life, probably because I think I’m devoid of courage. Much like the cowardly lion in the Wizard of Oz, somewhere along the way, I lost my courage.

But then two things happened.

A wise Dutch friend of my mother told me something that made me think. Tony was his name. Sadly, he died last year. Tony was a resistance fighter in Holland during World War II. Then he moved to Los Angeles and became a nudist and an activist. I say nudist first, because I met him when I was quite young and the nudist part has been emblazoned in my memory. When we would visit Tony at his tiny beach house (really the only shack in Malibu), my Mom would give him that look that said, “Cover that thing up, old man.” And he always did.

He taught me to swim in the ocean in really rough waters. He told me to dive real deep and let the waves pass over my head. He also told me precisely what to do if I was ever caught in a rip tide. I have a healthy respect for the sea because of Tony. But it’s one thing I’m not afraid of, probably because Tony gave me information that allowed me to have a semblance of control.

But I’m wandering. What Tony told me, before he died, has stayed with me. He told me, my Grandfather, a man I never met, was the bravest man he had ever known.

This surprised me. I had heard many stories about my Jewish Grandfather and nobody ever described him as brave. Kind, yes. Compassionate, definitely. Creative and hard-working, absolutely. Devoted to his family, forever. But brave never came up.

Then Tony continued speaking in that honest, guttural way that all Dutch men seem to share. They never say what they don’t mean.

I wish I could recall the precise words, but I can’t. But I’ll never forget the message. He said that Georg (my Grandfather) by nature was not particularly brave. In fact, he worried about everything. And he feared constantly. And then he was trapped in Holland during WWII with a big Star of David attached to his arm. And despite impossible odds, my Grandfather hid resistance fighters in his home and guns and ammunition in his attic.

What made this significant to Tony was that this man (my Grandpa) went against his nature. And against staggering odds did things that put himself and his beloved family at terrible risk. And to him this is what made Grandpa Georg the bravest man he had ever met.

My other life lesson is from my young son, handicapped with a condition called Trevor’s Disease which has made his life less than easy. He can’t move his left ankle or knee and his leg is considerably shorter. He has to wear a big shoe to walk.

I remember seeing people with huge shoes when Will was first diagnosed. I couldn’t imagine anybody having to live like that. We have been through many surgeries and none of them have been successful. One day soon, when Will stops growing, the disease is supposed to stop spreading. We are hopeful about a prosthetic knee and even an ankle some day down the road. But in the meantime, my son stuns me with his bravery.

I have his jeans made to fit over his shoe, so it makes it a bit more difficult to see the huge shoe hiding under his pants leg. But Will doesn’t seem to mind the stares and comments. Summer is rolling around and that means shorts. He couldn’t care less. He wears his shorts and doesn’t seem to mind the curiosity of others.

But it breaks my heart. Again, he’s brave and I’m the cowardly lion.

He fights like a real lion in everything he does, from fencing to wakeboarding to skiing. But the real test of his manhood and his bravery is the way he handles his challenges. Head on! He doesn’t even blink.

The bravest thing I’ve ever done is given birth to a very brave boy. He must get it from his brave great Grandfather, Georg.

20 comments:

  1. What a beautiful post! And you are braver than you think - any mom of teenagers knows that! :)

    I am very pleased to have "found" you! Amazing lady!

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  2. What a lovely way to meet! Thank you for your comment on my blog and for sharing your story here. It's amazing how children can be so resilient. My daughter inspires me every day.

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  3. What an inspiring pair of examples. Sometimes our children amaze us, don't they. Some meet challenges head on; others, by nature, live in denial.

    I imagine you are courageous every day, in supporting him. I'm guessing some of Grandpa Georg is part of you as well.

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  4. Thank you, Terry, for sharing the stoires of your grandfather and son, both definite exemplars of courage. But I agree with Shawna and BLW: you're mighty courageous too. As the sister of a man with special needs, I know that it takes serious gumption to advocate for a child whose needs are different than many. You might feel like the "cowardly lion," but I know that your grandfather's courageous blood runs through your veins!

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  5. Your son sounds like an amazing boy that will soon be a man. You may not think you have done anything courageous, but you taught him how to deal with his obstacles in life. That was you! And that takes courage. Your son will be able to pass all of the lessons from you on to his children. Thank you for sharing.

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  6. From reading your writing these past months I would have to disagree. I think you're very courageous. Writing a novel? Parenting your boys? Few of us get thrown into the test of bravery that your grandfather had. But it's the little day to day tests of courage, like your son meets every day, that really show who we are! Like mother, like child.

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  7. Beautiful; my eyes swelled. It's amazing how inspiring people we've never met can be and how much strength and courage we draw from our little ones.

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  8. Terry, you continue to be too hard on yourself. You're courageous and brave, and your boys are lucky to have you!

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  9. Terry - I loved this. Your writing is so unique, so honest and easy, and it makes your subjects -- Tony and, of course, your son, shine. I love that you wrote about this, the story of your son will stick with me. Am so glad to stumble across your blog via Five for Ten!

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  10. I love your stories of both your son and your brave grandfather as seen through the eyes of your nudist friend. Amusing and full of heart. Your son is courage personified.

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  11. Bravery seems to happen when we "go against our nature(s)." This is a beautiful, poignant post that is an excellent reminder of what courage really is.

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  12. What wonderful stories.

    Sometimes courage is simply getting through the every day. Continuing on and not giving up. Your son is learning courage from you, whether you feel you are an example of it or not. (Though clearly, fact that you went swimming with an old nudist = COURAGE!)

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  13. What wonderful stories! Your family is full of courage and it doesn't skip generations! You are a very brave mother. you let your son go out and be himself. You let him test his own limitations (if he even has them). You don't hold him back and baby him. That is courage!

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  14. How amazing that you have men on either side of your history who remind you daily what it takes to get through the day courageously. And how wonderful that you have stories to share with your son, stories that will, no doubt, only give him more courage to overcome his own challenges.

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  15. I love this post for so many reasons--your descriptions are so vivid and heartfelt.

    And I'm with ck--swimming with an old nudist=sheer bravery!

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  16. Wow - amazing story about your grandfather! I can't imagine the terror he lived on a daily basis...As for you, I'm guessing your son gets his courage from watching his Mom - who I bet treats him no differently than his sibling and gave him the wings to be as confident and as brave as he is.

    Oh - and that line about the look your mom gave the Dutch guy - hysterical!

    Thanks for coming by my blog!

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  17. I am astounded by the courage children show, despite their limitations. Children go with the flow and embrace where they are, without reservation. Your son could teach all of us a thing or two. Thank you for such a lovely post.

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  18. You sell yourself short, because this was a great post and it was beautifully written. Thanks for sharing such a wonderful story about your grandfather. And your son's courage comes from you, whether you believe it or not.

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  19. You may be scared and worry about a lot of things Terry, but you are very much still extremely courageous. Courageous to write about all you write about. Courageous to face motherhood with a teenage son. Courage to show strength in front of your son when you may worry about him - he definitely gets his bravery from his mom.

    Thank you for sharing both of these stories. What a wonderful post.

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  20. terry! i just made my way over here (i wish i had come sooner thought) and LOVE it...your grandfather and son sound like wonderful men and you are so lucky to have such reminders in your life. i look forward to looking over some of your other posts. :)

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