Anna the Brave

A princess and a knight!

“I’m not afraid of anything!”

That’s what she tells me. Anna is brave. Like Merida in her favorite princess movie Brave. Like fellow first grader Ramona Quimby in Ramona the Brave. Anna is not afraid of anything. She is brave.

I tell her it’s okay to be afraid of some things. That fear can be a good thing when it protects you from something dangerous. And I know deep down that she understands. That she knows not to put her herself in dangerous situations. She takes my hand without me asking when we cross the street. She knows to stay out of the kitchen when something hot is on the stove. She knows to yell and run—and hit and kick if necessary—if someone ever tries to grab her.

She knows these things and I think she knows that it’s okay to be afraid even if she doesn’t want to admit it.

After all, even the bravest are afraid. Merida was afraid of the bear. Ramona was afraid of the dog. Yet they acted in spite of that fear and that is what made them brave.

Someday Anna will have to act in spite of her fear too. Maybe on the playground at school when a kid is mean to her or teases her. And I know she’ll handle it. I’ve seen her hold her own with other kids at parks and at play areas. I’ve seen her stand her ground.

I know she has it in her. I know she is brave.