The Courage of Children: Boston and Beyond XXXIII

AZARIAH TYLER
AARON KESLER AND ALISON SPADE, TEACHERS
Boston Renaissance Charter Public School, Boston, MA
To me, courage is not being afraid to ask tough questions, and being responsible
for taking care of someone, even though you’re scared. You know when you
suspect something is wrong, but you don’t think too much of it? Then you start
finding the missing puzzle pieces, but you don’t want to finish it just yet because
you don’t know if it’s right or wrong? Courage is asking questions to figure out
the puzzle, or asking for help. I had to find my courage and conquer my fear
when I had to ask my mom if she was sick.
“I DIDN’T LET FEAR
IMPACT MY ABILITY TO
BE COURAGEOUS.”
A couple of years ago, I noticed my mom wasn’t her usual self. She had been
moving slowly and looking tired, and she hadn’t been eating normally. I didn’t
think much of it because I was getting excited about going back to school to
see all my friends. We had been out of school for almost a year due to the
COVID-19 pandemic. I was so ready for school to be back in person. It was
spring, and summer was around the corner, so I was definitely happy about
that. One day, before school was to begin in person again, I could tell
something was off in my family because everyone seemed sad. My mom told
me to sit down. She told me that she had breast cancer.
Those words crushed me, knowing that her life and mine wouldn’t be the same
again. Emotions flowed through my body. I didn’t know whether to be sad or
angry or nervous about my mom and this diagnosis. Tears poured down my
face onto the floor. You know it’s not very easy to hear your mom, your rock,
say, “I have breast cancer.” My mom has struggled with her mental health for
years, and I am the one person who can always calm her down. However, this
cancer diagnosis really made it harder for her to stay calm. She was very sad
and moody and would shut everyone out, including me! That hurt! I wished
and wished and wished that I could make her pain go away. I knew that what
I had to do was stay calm and do my best to be there for her. To take care of
her the best I knew how, even though I was a child.
Seeing my mom go through so much pain, I showed courage by taking care
of her, even though it was sad and painful. I stuck by her side with every step
she took, holding her hand and not letting go of it. Though there were times
I wanted to give up, I didn’t, knowing I had to do this for my mom and that
she would have done the same for me. I didn’t let fear impact my ability to
be courageous.
THE COURAGE OF CHILDREN: BOSTON AND BEYOND
VOLUME XXXIII
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