Learning to Be Brave at Every Age

We understandably assume that bravery is an attribute reserved for a few, those outwardly and naturally brave. But I’ve come to realize through the course of my life, in my role as a parent, and now as a grandparent, that bravery is something we learn. From the moment we are born, we are placed on bravery’s path.

This universal experience is at the heart of what is now a trilogy of books for all ages. This series began in 2023 with How We Learn to Be Brave, written for adults, and continued last fall with the young adult adaptation, We Can Be Brave. Now the trilogy is complete with the release of I Can Learn to Be Brave, a picture book for children ages 4 to 8.

I didn’t set out to write three books. My initial motivation behind How We Learn to Be Brave was to describe the many ways, as individuals and as a people, we are summoned to do what seems impossible. I wanted to honor those moments when we stand at the edge of a fateful decision and somehow find the courage to take the first step. Moreover, I sought to place those decisive moments within the larger context of our lives–how we prepare, or are prepared, to meet such moments, and how we live in light of them afterwards.

Writing How We Learn to Be Brave was both an act and an expression of faith. As a Christian, I hoped to articulate what it feels like to live by faith, while at the same time underscoring the universality of human experience. As I do in preaching each week, I drew upon my life experience and that of others, as well as the rich reservoirs of sacred texts, history, and popular culture to demonstrate that we all have moments when we decide to go, or to stay, or to start something new; to accept what we do not choose, or to step up, and through all of our life, to persevere.

I was thrilled when approached with the possibility of a young readers version of the book, We Can Be Brave, because so many of the formative experiences of our lives occur when we are young. As I write in the introduction,

“Parenting was, for me, a master class in courage–not a class that I taught, but one where I was the student.”

It was a joy to work with renowned young adult author and educator Bryan Bliss in crafting a book in which young readers can recognize themselves as brave.

And now, I Can Learn to Be Brave, a picture book beautifully illustrated by the wondrous Holly Hatam, reminding us all (myself included) that bravery begins whenever a child crosses a threshold. “The first step is always the hardest,” a young, not-so-brave girl learns, “but it’s also the bravest.” She also learns, as we all must, that making mistakes and falling are part of the process of learning to be brave, and that she is not alone, that sometimes bravery looks like asking for help.

Three books to span generations with one message: Bravery is something we learn through often small yet decisive moments. And that we are on this lifelong journey of bravery together. No matter who you are, how old you are, and what decisive moment is before you, remember that you are not alone. We are all learning to be brave.