Guest Blogger: Robi Jones

There are many descriptions of what courage is. All of them may have some truth, but the courage I am speaking to was that found on day three of the Little Pink Houses of Hope retreat in Gulf Shores, Alabama. The day started with a wonderful change in the temperature and decreased humidity. The families and VolunSTARS met at Little Lagoon in the State Park for a day of paddle boarding courtesy of Gulf Adventure Center. Many of the family members and several VolunSTARS had never done this activity. It took courage to step in the red, cool water. It took courage to grasp that oar and board and take that first step. It took courage to start to paddle away from the shore and comfort of the familiar. It took courage to get back on after falling off.
What we found is each time we showed courage, we gained confidence, strength, and a sense of accomplishment. Are these steps not the same ones we take when faced with illness, financial hardship or uncertainty? All of the families have been marching these steps of courage for a while. Today we had the strength to accept the things we could not change and the courage to change the things that we could on a paddle board at the water’s edge.
Our day continued with a great boxed lunch provided by Good to Go, Wind Creek’s food truck. Following lunch, some families had the courage to venture out on their own and explore the area; others were drawn back to the paddle boards, and this time they courageously stepped on those boards and were the masters of their own journey.
We concluded the day with a wonderful beachside meal at the Gulf State Park Beach Pavilion again provided by the Good to Go food truck. After the meal, another opportunity to gain courage was the Little Pink Olympics. We gained courage as part of a team with a common goal and used all of our strength and ability to complete the task. These are also the steps of courage that our sisterhood of pink and their families have taken. These lessons in courage were not ones easily acquired. They took hard work, perseverance, faith, and love. We found all of those today with a paddle and a board.
“Courage is going to the end of the stairs and taking one more step.” — Unknown
We took that step today.