Courage born from necessity.
Strength born from caring.
Experience born from being present.

In my life nothing other than motherhood
has challenged me more
than becoming a nurse.

Becoming a nurse takes much longer
than the years spent in a grueling
program at school jumping through
the administrative hoops.

If it were not for the experiences
I have lived through
and other people's experiences
I have lived with them,
I would not know my own
inner strength.
I would not know that I
could be courageous.

For in seeing the depths of despair
and the heights of joy
in people at their most extremes
have I been able to find my place
in this world.
Have I found joy and courage,
pain and love.

Holding a dying woman's hand.
Cleaning infected wounds.
Bathing those too weak to help themselves.
Listening to the tortured minds of the distressed.

And within these experiences
learning that one MUST act.
And in order to act, one MUST
face fears of every order.

And in the face of fear
knowing what to do
the right thing that must be done
one finds the very courage to do it.

And not only have I found courage
within myself.  I have been humbly
able to provide the strength for
other to face their fears
and to act courageously as well.