The Courage of Children: Boston and Beyond XXXIII

VIVIENNE LEIJDEKKER
DAWN AUSTIN, TEACHER
American School of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
For me, courage is doing something difficult, even if it frightens you.
Courageous acts are difficult to put into words, as they are very complex.
Courage comes in all different shapes and sizes, and one is not more important
than another. Courage can only truly be achieved if you work for it. In my
personal experience, courage can take a long time to achieve. It’s not always
something that happens overnight.
When I was in the fourth grade, my parents told me I would be moving to
Barcelona. I was devastated. I had to move away from the place I had been in
for so long. I asked my parents countless times, “But why do we have to move?!”
Their answer was the same every time. “Your dad found work there, and it’ll
be better there.” It hurt to hear. California was the first place I had stayed in
for long enough to grow comfortable and love my home, making the move
much more difficult. In other places we had lived, our stays only lasted one or
two years until the dreaded “your father has a job in that place” came into
play, and we had to move, and it was back to the beginning again.
I never understood why I had to move just because my parents wanted to.
However, to my dismay, a nine-year-old girl didn’t seem to have enough power
to change the moving plans of her whole family. Settling into our new home
was difficult, and I never felt comfortable. Boring days rolled by for what
seemed to be endless weeks, until it was the day before school would start.
“You’ll do great. Everyone will love you!” My mother told me.
But how would you know? I thought, the knot which had made itself comfortable
in my stomach over the past few weeks growing tighter.
Sitting on my bed in my new, bare room, which was lined with unopened boxes
and a feeling of unfamiliarity, I felt sick with worry. Even though my new room
wasn’t cold at all, especially considering it was summer, I shivered. I didn’t quite
know how to think about our move. It was painful and hard, and I was
struggling to find comfort in our new house. Will I ever? I thought.
“I WAS SCARED, BUT I
WAS ALSO CAPABLE OF
GETTING THROUGH
THE YEAR. I COULD
BE COURAGEOUS,
JUST LIKE EVERYONE
ELSE COULD, TOO.”
The next morning dragged by so slowly, that at times, it felt like time had been
stopped. I didn’t mind, though; the thought of going to a new school seemed
like a dream. We left for the school, and when we arrived, I stared at the gates
for a while, refusing to move. I gazed at the metal door, thinking of the long
year ahead of me.
Then, I was ready. I took a long, deep breath. I searched myself for any
bravery, any small piece of courage, and I found it, easier than I expected. I
wasn’t sure if this year would go perfectly, but I knew that I could get past it.
A girl looked at me. She smiled at me, looking nervous and brave. I smiled
back, and I realized that I was just like everyone else. I was scared, but I was
also capable of getting through the year. I could be courageous, just like
everyone else could, too.
From this moment, I learned that courage is so much more than just facing
fears. Courage can be anything, from riding the scariest ride in a theme park,
to just saying, “I’m sorry.” The meaning of courage is complicated and
different for everyone, but that doesn’t mean one opinion is wrong or right.
Perhaps, courage doesn’t have to have one real definition. It can just be:
courage. A small word with a big meaning.
My mom peeked through the door and smiled before telling me again that I
would “do so great” in this new school. “People will love you, and you’ll make
so many new friends,” she said. My stomach flipped again. It felt like an order.
THE COURAGE OF CHILDREN: BOSTON AND BEYOND
VOLUME XXXIII
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