Lesson 247: How Big is Your Brave?

has a question for you this weekend, Readers.

How big is your brave?

Are you brave like Sam, my six year old son?

 Maybe.

Yet, bravery isn't always about a fearless jump.  It can be as simple being brave enough to look at something from a different perspective.  For me, that means trying to capture that angle with my camera.

I suppose there is some measure of bravery when one takes my father fishing.

Glad Louie was brave enough, or else I would have missed these opportunities.

I've shot the sunsets from every vantage point I can from the cottage for years.  This week I tried something new:  I belly crawled to get eye level with the water.  Boy did the shots turn out interesting!  

My favorite series happened when I was holding a position for ten minutes, trying to keep my camera level so that I could snap the sun disappearing into the lake.  I was so intent on not moving into the dead Sheep Head to my right and the pile of smelly seaweed to my left, that I was surprised when these kayaks slid into my scene.  I never saw them coming.

When I saw the nose of the boat poke into my view finder, my creative brain spoke Loch Ness Monster!

No Nessie, but Eloise was pleased.

How big is your brave?

Are you brave like Ellen?

She's my artist.

That's her in the hole behind my tiger lilies.

She got a painting lesson from her art teacher, who is a painting master.

Together they sat, side by side in silence, and painted the scene from my front yard.

Ellen was nervous to paint with someone so accomplished.

Jan Pearson-Weber modeled how to use oils.

Ellen watched and learned.

The bravery came in the end when Ellen's self-imposed comparisons began:

Oh. Em. Gee.  

Look at hers and look at mine.

No way am I that good.

Are you all thinking what Mother Eloise was?  Would you remind Ellen that she is only twelve, and that she is just learning?  Would you tell her that she needs more time and practice and one day she will be a good oil painter, too?  

Good.  That's why you read this blog, I suppose.  We are kind of alike.

Are you brave like Natalie, my fifteen year old?

Natalie signed up for the Cherry Festival 5K race, even though she wasn't in top form.

Natalie has some challenges, and she cannot exercise alone.  She is at the mercy of our household schedule.  The spring brought very early morning workouts for me, late night ones for Dad, and Little League for Ellen and Sam.  That meant there was very little time to allow Natalie some practice runs.

Still she persisted:  "Natalie run, Momma!  Ice cream.  Get ice cream."  You get a sundae at the end of this race!  

That was the positive mantra she chanted the FIRST two miles.  Things turned for the worse between miles 2 and 3.  "All done!!  Natalie done.  Natalie belly hurt.  Toe hurt.  Poopy (Natalie's cuss word).  Want drink.  Hot."  Natalie is not shy about expressing her discontent. 

When your bravery turns to fear, who gets you through?
Your family and friends, of course!

This is Aunt Jean and Ellen getting Natalie up the final hill.  

Notice Ellen's victory sign.  It was a very long mile.

How big is your brave?

Are you brave like Kenyan?  

Always looking for the next challenge, she's attempting her first marathon in January.

(Disney World)

How big is your brave?

Are you brave like them?  

These are some of the good folks from Challenge Erie 4.

Each has been brave enough to make a commitment to their health and well being.

Some are brave enough to give fitness a try for the first time,

or work out alongside people twenty years their junior.

Some have to be brave enough to wait out an injury,

 and allow the body to heal as it is designed to.

And when you are scared you'll never mend, 

you call in your family for support.

They'll tell you to drink the Kool-Aid,

and do something awesome today.

We are only as good as the people we surround ourselves with.  The man behind this movement to inspire a city is Dr. Steven Krauza, an Erie chiropractor.  As I write, he is bravely attempting to ride his bike continually around Presque Isle, for a 24 hour period.  His goal is to ride 300 miles.  

Dr. Steve is riding to raise money for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.  He has inspired my friend CJ to ride along in support of another cause--the Life Raft Group for GIST cancer.  

These men are brave to attempt such a feat, and kudos to them.  But the true dauntless are Alex and Harper, Carol and Sue, and the countless others who face life with extreme health challenges.  They are the brave.

What does Veronica Roth have to say about bravery?  Many of you are reading my book suggestion this summer.  

 Tris, the protagonist, is questioned by the person who put her though the fear simulations. The test administrator asks Tris why she has been so successful in them.   From page 359, softcover:

"You have been extremely successful with the simulations," she says.  "To what do you attribute the ease with which you complete them?"

"I am brave," I say, staring into her eyes.  The other factions see the Dauntless a certain way.  Brash.  Aggressive.  Impulsive.  Cocky.  I should be what she expects.  I smirk at her.  "I'm the best initiate they've got."


Roth illustrates through Tris, that those we see as fearless, are not without fear and doubt.  We all have doubts, some of us just fake it better.  Even the bikers on tonight's ride.  They have their doubts about accomplishing their goals, too.  The important part is that it isn't enough to hinder their attempt.

There were other parts of Divergent that I liked beyond the story.

Eloise LOVED the bonus materials in the back!

I loved Veronica Roth's answer to the fortune cookie question from the Q & A section!

Great advice!

Eloise took the faction quiz at the end of the book.  The whole way through the story, I thought about what faction I would be best suited for by nature, and also which one I would choose.  I think they are not always synonymous. 

I'm Divergent.

That means I'm a threat to society.

For your safety, you may want to stop reading this blog.

My responses were all over the board--I had traits of each faction.

However, although it was not a majority,

I had the highest concentration of answers fall into this category:

My description was this:

(notice the text underlined in blue)

How big is your brave, Readers?  What are you going to attempt this weekend?  Step out of your comfort zone, take a sip of that Kool-Aid, and do something brave.  Make Eloise proud.

Eloise is proud to know Stacey!  She is such a good friend that she found me the perfect song for my pictures for the week.  It is titled Brave by the musical artist Sara Bareilles.  Thank you very much!

Enjoy the song and the photo show.  I've got a second song coming for you mid-week, next week.  Check the Lamp Post by Wednesday.  I should have it ready then.

XOXO,
Eloise
(for some reason, the thumbnail photo isn't showing on the video.  Just click the arrow, Grandma.  I assure you it is not a computer virus).