The courage we forgot to keep

Last weekend my son participated in a fencing tournament - a sport that is new to our family, as is the format of these events. Something struck me during the two days watching these young athletes: I was witnessing a remarkable display of vulnerability, openness to whatever would face them in each of their opponents, scoring, losing, winning. Whether it's tying shoelaces or mastering a new skill, their willingness to just be "in it", to try, to win, to be defeated, to try again is so inspiring.

When does that change? As adults we tend to avoid this vulnerability, fearing failure, judgment, or getting it wrong. What if we approached challenges, hard conversations, and connections with those who are different from us with the same openness they do? What if we step outside our comfort zone, acknowledge our limitations and keep showing up?

By mirroring the resilience that we see in children going to uncomfortable places, we can rekindle our courage to tackle the seemingly impossible.