Who Are the Brave?

Rebecca, Isaac and I attended a Eagle Court of Honor this evening. It was a very neat event to honor the hard work and dedication it take an entire family to help a son become an Eagle Scout. Even though he is still a cub scout, Isaac was inspired to work towards Eagle Scout.
I was impressed to see how many people turned out to honor the young man. There were a lot more people there than the family was expecting, and that was very neat. So often these days we all get wrapped up in our own little worlds and don’t take the time to reach out and connect with those around us. This young man, and his family have reached out though, and they have touched the lives of many people, and those people gathered tonight to honor them.
The closing song was an ensemble of young men who sang with a fervor for the song that could be felt by those in the room. The spirit was strong, and the song was beautiful, and the young men were heroes who have yet to be tested and know their full strength. I wish I had a video or even a picture  of the young men that sang tonight, but since I don’t, I found a youtube video of the song, Who Are the Brave by J. Paul Williams and Joseph Martin.



I love this quote found as the description of the song on Sheet Music Plus’s website.

“This work . . . asks us to explore the role we all perform in our daily lives. Because of world issues, it is imperative for us to reflect on things around us.”

Here are the lyrics to the song:
Who are the brave? Those who go to war.
Who are the brave? Those who fight no more.
Those who gave their lives, protecting freedom's shore.
Who are the brave? Those who serve in war.
Who are the brave? Those who live with pain.
Who are the brave? Those whose lives are plain.
Those with healthy bodies, those protecting the unsure.
Who are the brave? Those who serve the poor.
Who are the brave? Those whose speech is free?
Who are the brave? Those loving liberty.
All those with heart and mind, protecting all they find.
Who are the brave? Those who serve mankind.
These are the brave.
So beautiful. So true. We often think bravery as being something grand and life changing, as a warrior going to war, facing some tremendous challenge. That may be, but I know many people who are brave who,

• have never gone to war, but have quietly suffered pain day in and day out for many years
• who haven’t made national news for their brave acts, but have cared for a child, who will never grow up, for 30+ years.
• who will never be famous, but have stood by their spouses through thick and thin, rough years, court appearances, and jail time
• who haven’t died, but have given all of their life to raising their children, and loving and serving grandchildren and great-grandchildren
• who will never be rich, but have worked hard their whole life, teaching the children of others

THESE ARE THE BRAVE!
The Unsung Heroes that quietly go about living their lives and blessing others. Many of them Mothers, but Fathers, Sisters, Brothers, Aunts, Uncles, Grandparents, Friends, Neighbors, all of them can touch our lives and help us learn to be brave. Lets remember to honor them, the brave heroes that we see in our lives every day.