Be a lion, not a mouse
If I only had the nerve.

So says the cowardly lion in the Wizard of Oz.

I wonder how many of us can relate to that?

Since the heartbreak of the fatal shooting of Lyra McKee last week, I’ve been thinking a lot about courage, and how much we need to find in ourselves when tragedies like this happen.

I’ll level with you- the bravery my dad showed in face of terrible threat nearly thirty years ago did not get passed on to me. I am frightened of many things, and often that stops me from taking a stand.

One thing that does give me strength is when I have to fight battles for my children. Last year I phoned the school principal about my daughter and although my voice was weak, I said what I needed to say.

But then, that’s what cured the cowardly lion too– he did it for Dorothy.

So, if we turn our eyes to the people smaller, or weaker, or less ‘seen’ than we are, maybe our courage will rise.

It’s the least we can do.