Embracing the Bravery in Our Healing Journey

Nov 14, 2026

As we continue our journey through this month of Thanksgiving and reflection, I want to take a moment to talk about something that’s often overlooked—bravery. You see, we often think of bravery as something that requires bold, outward acts—climbing mountains, speaking up in front of crowds, or achieving great feats. But what if bravery isn’t always about what we do on the outside? What if the greatest bravery is found in the quietest, most personal moments?

What Is Bravery?

Bravery doesn’t always look like the movies or the stories we hear. It’s not about running into battle or facing danger head-on. At its core, bravery is about facing fear, standing up when everything inside you is telling you to shrink, to hide, or to give up. It’s about showing up—even when you don’t feel like it. It’s about choosing to keep going when the road ahead seems dark, unknown, or impossible.

Bravery in Healing

Now, think about this: What if I told you that every single step you’ve taken in your healing journey—every decision to face your trauma, every moment you chose to work through the pain—was an act of bravery? Because it was.

Healing isn’t just about overcoming what happened to us; it’s about daring to go to places inside ourselves that are raw, unhealed, and sometimes, terrifying. It’s easy to run away from those feelings, to bury them and pretend they don’t exist. But you? You’re different. You’ve dared to face those feelings, and that is bravery in its truest form.

Healing takes courage—it takes the bravery to open up wounds and sit with the discomfort, the bravery to be vulnerable with yourself and others, and the bravery to allow yourself to feel all the feelings. It’s not easy. It’s not glamorous. But it’s real.

And that bravery? It’s what allows you to dream again. Even if that dream is simply to heal, to find peace, or to move forward. That is enough. Your bravery in just showing up for yourself in the midst of trauma is monumental.

Daring to Dream and Heal

In the process of healing, sometimes our dreams are small, and that’s okay. Maybe your dream is simply to have a day without pain. Maybe it’s to be able to trust again. Maybe it’s to move through life without carrying the weight of past trauma in every moment.

That’s a beautiful dream. And it’s worthy of your bravery.

The road may feel long and overwhelming at times, and it might feel like you’re taking two steps forward and one step back. But in those moments, remember that your bravery isn’t just about the big strides. It’s about showing up, even on the hard days, when healing feels like a distant goal.

The truth is, you are braver than you think. Every day you continue, every day you make the choice to face what hurts, every day you remind yourself that healing is possible—you are becoming braver and braver. You don’t have to be perfect or have it all figured out. Just showing up is enough.

And that’s something to be thankful for.

A Reflection for You

As you think about this month of gratitude, I encourage you to reflect on your own bravery. Think about the small, quiet victories you’ve had—when you’ve made it through a tough day, when you’ve allowed yourself to feel, or when you’ve taken a step toward healing, even if it felt small. These moments are your acts of bravery, and they are what make you stronger.

So, this month, as we pause and give thanks, let’s be thankful for the bravery that has carried us through our toughest times. Let’s be thankful for the bravery that allows us to dream again, to heal, and to move forward with hope.

You are braver than you think. And that bravery is leading you toward something beautiful.

Kathe'rine

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