Definition of Courage

“Courage is doing what you have to do even though you are afraid” said once my friend Angelina. Do you believe this is true? In my opinion, I believe it to be true. 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 face 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 Ukraine to the United States back when I was just six 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 Ukraine was definitely not the best. My mother was raising my older brother, Ruslan, me and my younger brother, Oleg all by herself, and at the same time 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 admire her for being such a strong and courageous woman.

Furthermore, another brave person that can truly define courage is the main character, Henry Fleming in the movie The Red Badge of Courage. He was a soldier during the Civil War who worried about his courage when he found out that they were finally going to attack. Henry eventually overcame his fears and gave it his all in the battle. At the end of the movie, he was seen as a leader and as a man with courage. In addition, the firefighters and police officers who helped to look for people who were trapped in the crumbled twin towers in NYC on 9-11 also showed a huge sign of courage. Those firefighters and police officers are heroes. It meant so much to the whole country what they did. They put themselves in danger for others, and that’s a true meaning of courage.

Hence, my mother, Henry from The Red Badge of Courage, and all the firefighters from 9-11 all demonstrate courage in the situations they faced by showing willingness to keep going even when their goal seemed impossible. The most courageous person is not always the strongest, but the person that continues to fight no matter what obstacles come their way.