profiles in courage

courage: 1. (n) the quality of mind or spirit that enables a person to face difficulty, danger, pain, etc, without fear; bravery.
synonyms: fearlessness, dauntlessness, intrepidity, pluck, spirit.

Sunday afternoon brought me to the annual Concerto Program at Crane. I sat with a dear friend and settled in to enjoy some well-prepared music. My interest was mainly focused on a young pianist that I know to be quite musical and talented. She did not dissappoint. Her Rachmaninoff concerto was elegant, energetic, expressive, full of verve and technically dazzling. Backstage after the performance, we craned our necks to spot her face in the congratulation line, but to no avail. After inquiring about her, we were informed how ill she was. Food poisoning. And she came from the hospital just in time to go onstage. As we were taking in this amazing and sorry piece of news, she limped through the sympathetic crowd with her professor at her side, looking wan and totally spent. They were on their way back to the hospital to fend off dehydration. Despite her teacher's recommendation and the very real chance of fainting (or worse) on stage, she was resolute that the show went on. I could hardly imagine the inner strength it took to play that demanding piece so flawlessly! But now her triumph was behind her, and all she wanted was to lie down.

Yesterday, I received a happy phone call. A healthy baby boy was born to our friends the Boyles. Way to go, Cathy! According to prayers on her behalf, labor was short. (Of course, any mom will testify that "short" is a relative term!) I don't have all the baby-details yet, but this I know: a very plucky mom endured months of sickness and bed-rest to bring forth this little prize. This nine-month long endurance test came as no surprise, as every one of her pregnancies was a nausea marathon.
I salute a mom like that. And I can hardly wait to hold her hard-won laurel wreath, look into his dark eyes and tell him he was so worth the journey.