Ashley LeMieux: What A Failed Adoption Taught Me About Courage

If you’re ever forced into a legal deposition, you know about the hot seat. The hot seat is where they interrogate and rip you apart across a little table. I truly hope you never find yourself there. Being bullied for three hours by a person whose livelihood hinged on their ability to destroy me was an excruciating experience. I sat in the hot seat with my attorney on one side and Mike on the other. A stranger sat in the corner transcribing every word being spoken, and across from me sat the person who was trying to gain custody of my children. I wondered how I had gotten there, why somebody like me had been chosen for this moment, this experience. As I sat at that table ferociously defending my name, my children, and my family, I realized I didn’t need to be bigger or louder to be courageous, I just needed to be me—unapologetically.

Courage isn’t a myth or a mystical power floating in the ether, it is real and available to all of us.

Even if you don’t see it, it is inside of you right now, so don’t ever forget it’s there. The ignition that makes your heart beat faster, courage is the whisper of hope telling you your voice will make a difference. A touch of courage feels like a hug and a push all at once. Even if you cannot see courage, it resides in you ready to burn bright.


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