courage.

This post was written by my husband, Matthew.

One of my College teachers recently posted a question to my psychology class on what courage means to you:

I use to think this was easy, I picture my brothers and I in battle, steadfast against a ferocious enemy, gritting our teeth and asking for more.

This journey has taught me so much more about what being courageous means. My wife has courage to put countless meds into her body with syringes and pills with barely a word of hesitation.

Courage is being able to face loss after loss and keep going. Getting out of bed after a miscarriage and going to work and facing people who might say the wrong thing and make you tear up. It’s not their fault but it happens.

Having courage is being able to face your wife and say that you are sorry, even if there was nothing you or her could have done differently. It’s having the ability and love for her enough not to say anything and just hold her.

There’s plenty more courage displayed by my wife. Facing over 500 needles after we said we are going down a different path.

Hell, courage is being able to go down that path of using a gestational carrier.

Courage is overcoming the fact that your body isn’t doing what you want it to do more than anything in the world.

It’s experiencing bone crushing pain and still thinking about others.

I watch my wife respond to questions on Instagram and the love that I see being poured from her heart into those words is courageous too.

So how does one define courage?! Here is mine:

My wife is the epitome of courage. The ability to identify, face and overcome every obstacle with tenacity. Every pregnancy, every loss, every needle, doctors appointment and blood draw. Handling miscommunication in FDA forms, more medications, all of the firsts and what could be the lasts. All of these are what courage is. You will not find a more courageous woman who can handle anything. I am so proud to call her my wife, my best friend.

ALL of this to get to one goal…you are COURAGEOUS.