The bravest thing is not to fight. It is to stay open — especially when the world makes it easy to close down.
We think of courage as the lifted sword, the loud no, the public stand. Sometimes it is. But more often, courage is what no one sees: the choice to keep your heart soft after it has been broken. The decision to forgive without an audience. The willingness to remain curious in a season of cynicism.
Closing is the easier path. It feels like protection. It is, in fact, a slow form of dying.
Stay open. Even when it costs you. Especially when it costs you.