Scarlett didnāt feel brave at all that morning.
Her shoes were on the wrong feet at first.
Her jumper felt scratchy.
And her heart was making that fluttery feeling ā the one that shows up when something feels a bit too big.
āI donāt think I can do today,ā she whispered to Lenny the Lion.
Lenny didnāt roar.
He didnāt puff out his chest or look fierce.
He just stayed exactly where he was.
On the floor, Pudding wagged his tail once, softly, as if to say Iām listening.
Scarlett sat very still.
She watched the light coming through the window.
She listened to the hum of the house waking up.
She took one small breathā¦ then another.
Nobody told her to hurry.
Nobody told her to be brave.
And slowly, something inside her settled.
Scarlett realised something important.
Brave didnāt have to be loud.
It didnāt have to feel shiny or confident or bold.
Sometimes brave looked like:
putting your shoes back on the right feet
holding Lenny a little tighter
walking forward even when your tummy still felt funny
Scarlett stood up.
Her knees wobbled.
Her heart still fluttered.
But she took a step anyway.
Pudding trotted beside her, bumping her leg with his nose.
Lenny came too, tucked safely under her arm.
Scarlett smiled ā not a big smile, just a small one.
Because she finally understood.
You donāt have to feel brave to be brave.
Sometimes brave is quiet.
Sometimes brave is gentle.
Sometimes brave is just showing up.
And that kind of brave counts the most of all.
š«¶ A gentle wonder to share
Can you remember a time you did something even though it felt a bit scary?
What kind of brave was that?