“Courage is doing what you have to do even though you are afraid” said once Rudi Giuliani. Do you believe this is true? In my opinion, I think it is. True courage is the willingness to keep fighting even when victory seems impossible. The etymological definition, situations that people I know and myself have experienced, and the movie The Red Badge of Courage all explore and show this willingness to battle against the odds.
To begin with, what is the “true” definition of courage? According to the dictionary, courage is the state or quality of mind or spirit that enables one to face danger, fear, or vicissitudes with self-possession, confidence, and resolution. For example, bravery in a battle, being able to stand up for yourself, or not allowing peer pressure get the best of you when a group of friends offer a cigarette, etc. Courage can be the one and only state of mind that most likely will get you through the most difficult situations one may faced in life to the ones that are not so difficult. Think back to an experienced difficult time. Did courage get you by?
With this in mind, I can’t help but to think about when my family and I moved from Puerto Rico to the United States back when I was just eight years old; and how courageous my mother was when she made that big decision that would affect all of us for the rest of our lives. Life in Puerto Rico was definitely not the best. My single mother was raising my little brother and I all by herself, taking care of my sick grandmother, and working two jobs. Money was still not enough and it was always very stressful for everybody, especially her. She knew that the United States could provide all of us a better future and she was very brave in leaving everything behind and moving to a foreign country with nothing but clothes in our suitcases. My mother was very afraid since she didn’t know what to expect, but she was willing to do everything it took to give her family a better living. I will always...