Practicing Bravery

Practicing Bravery is something that we might not think about when we set our mind to do something out of the ordinary, something outside of our comfort zone. But at the end of the day when you have accomplished something that you haven’t done before (or have not done in a very long time) that is exactly what you have accomplished. You have been practicing your bravery.

On Christmas Eve day circumstances being what they were if we all wanted to be together as a family in the same town then it was up to me to practice my bravery. So I loaded Francesca with Christmas and prepared to drive north. 356 miles north. In the dark. On the winter snow covered (and some spots ice covered) roads. Solo.

Tire pressure – 32 psi – check.

Oil quantity – full & light in color – check

Radiator fluid level – full at cold – check

Windshield washer fluid – full – check

Engine compartment including battery – tidy and strapped down – check

Visual inspection of external of car – normal and no evidence of any leaks – check

Music to get me through the long stretches of road where there is no radio – check – which by the way is almost 335 miles of the 356 trip.

Food and water for the day – potato chips, Hickory Smoked summer sausage, and a gallon of water – check

Trip travel plan filed with the husband (who was out flying all day) and the sons who were my alternate notification source if something was to go astray – check

Seven and a half hours later, two stops for vehicle fuel, three pit stops where there were no services (interpret Alaska in the winter where most business along the Parks Highway are closed for the winter so the only open “rest areas” are the snow banks along the sides of the road), and 356 miles later I arrived in Fairbanks. Happy as a clam and feeling my bravery run through my veins as I recounted my day’s story to my husband, who beamed from ear to ear with pride for me.

To everyone who everyday practices bravery, I bet you can hear me cheering for you from here.

Be brave my friends.