Fear and Bravery

 

Fear is nothing more than an opportunity for bravery. Every time we are brave we are a hero to ourselves and others.  rm

 

 

 

There was a father and a son.
The father,
cold and afraid,
herded onto a rugged ship with other brave men,
who knew only that they were going to save the world,
stormed the shore at night,
their mission to take the beach.
The father, scared and confused,
running over dead and dying friends,
moved forward, always forward,
a surviving spirit, tenacious warrior and just plain lucky,
he saw a tree and climbed it,
and stayed there till the killing ceased below.
The father,
years later, dragging his old age behind him,
proud that he had lived by his convictions,
while ashamed that he had lived at all,
when other fighters died.

The son,
cold and afraid,
dragged off to a war in which he had no say in fighting,
the thought of killing others abhorrent to his being,
printing anti-war literature and making trouble in the ranks.
The son,
his mission to stop the senseless killing,
who knew only that he was part of a movement to save the world,
discharged with honors by Generals just to shut him up,
endured the ridicule and scorn of others.
The son,
years later, dragging his old age behind him,
proud that he had lived by his convictions,
while ashamed that he had lived at all,
when other fighters died.