Article April 7, 2003 Issue

Building COURAGE isn't just for heroes

By Richard Bergenheim

When I was growing up, our family had a subscription to Reader's Digest. I always read the sections on humor first. Afterwards, I was drawn to the stories on courage that most issues contained. There were accounts of people who survived storms at sea, children who were rescued from danger, unexpected encounters with wild animals, and heroism by police or firefighters.

These articles usually showed everyday people who were faced with serious danger, and who found reservoirs of courage that often served to save others' lives as well as their own.

I think most of us find accounts of ordinary people doing extraordinary things reassuring. It says to us there's something inside that we're not usually aware of, that gives courage, strength, or endurance to meet unexpected challenges. We're not always sure we could do what those people did. Yet, at the same time, those people probably never dreamed they would do what they did, either. But when they most needed it, courage—mixed with determination and hope and faith—was there.