Showing Up and Taking the Next Brave Step

By Danielle Haluska

God's Brave Women - Danielle's Story

I think the word brave can often be wrapped up in the notion that we’ve stepped up and done something extravagant. Something so big, others can’t imagine that you were actually able to do it - the thing that seems impossible. But sometimes, brave is getting out of bed and facing the day. Sometimes, brave is having that difficult conversation that we’ve been holding off for years. Sometimes, brave is saying, I’m not okay and I need help. Being brave doesn’t have to come from a place of moving mountains. But rather, it can be showing up and doing the hard thing - that is brave.

Infertility is my brave.

At one point during our infertility journey one of my friends would tell me almost daily that she was proud of me. At a moment when I felt like a coward and at my weakest, someone was expressing they were proud of me. For what?

After some time of hearing this, I finally had my breaking point. “Please stop telling me you are proud of me. I am not doing anything to be proud of.” But to her, seeing the heartbreak and sadness from my empty arms, she knew just getting out of bed was hard. Getting up and still facing the day took every ounce of courage I had - staying in bed would have been the easier thing to do - and for that, she was proud of me.

"... in that moment, the bravest thing I did was show up. While there was only the tiniest bit of hope mustering around in me along with the overpowering heartache, I let that hope be my guide and I still showed up."

You see, in that moment, the bravest thing I did was show up. While there was only the tiniest bit of hope m