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What is Courage?The philosophy that fuels the designs at Redfish Kids is courage - courage to express one's sense of individuality with a strong confidant voice - to live life with gusto! We are collecting and sharing stories about courage with our community of Redfish Kids. We invite you to share a story about courage inspired by a special little one in your life. Amy, of mumsthewurd.com, has shared a story of courage from her daughter, Hailey: Just recently, my two and a half year old did something unexpected. She has always been a bit on the timid and cautious side. We recently took her to the Great Wolf Lodge in the Wisconsin Dells. There is an indoor water park at the lodge, so we put on our suits and entered the 86 degree room. We were playing around in the water when she decided she wanted to go down the slides. Of course, I thought that she would back out or beg one of us to go down with her but not this time. My husband lead her to the top of the water slide and I waited at the bottom. She came down all by herself! I was really not expecting her to go through with it and it just proved to me that my little girl is becoming more courageous every day.
And Laura, of mumsthewurd.com, has also sent in a story of courage from her son, Noel: I've noticed lately that my two and a half year old has started gaining confidence. When he's been somewhere often enough and is comfortable with the people, he will walk in like he owns the place. I first noticed this when I would take him to work with me. At first he was shy of everyone, then he became familiar, and would walk up to the same woman every time and ask her for an apple, that she'd gladly give him. I took him to the park the other day, and I noticed that he did everything with confidence. When we started to get in the car, he said, "Go to park," with a big smile on his face. When we got there, he said, "Hold hands, parking lot!" He knew the drill! When it was safe to be "all done" holding hands (in the grass), he let go, and ran ahead of me. He kept yelling, "I'm wunning! I'm wunning!" I watched him run in that big field, and even though he still looked small, I know that he is slowly leaving his babyhood behind, and is becoming a confident little boy.
Here is a recent story from Beth Hillhouse: Prince George celebrated the first graduating class of doctors from the Northern Medical Program with a ceremony held at UNBC. Each graduate walked up on stage and was presented with a long doctor's coat and a shingle with their name. Just as my husband was going up on stage, Elizabeth bolted out of her grandma's restraining arms yelling "I wanna go see daddy". She dodged four adults trying to stop her and made it up onstage to reach her Dad just in time for the newspaper to snap a photo of her. It was on the front page of the newspaper the following morning. I think it all happened because she was wearing a Redfish Kids dress.
Another recent story of courage... My oldest son is now 3 ½. Not so long ago, three small white beans found their way up his nose. (Children are curious!) When they started to swell we quickly made our way to the nearest emergency room. I have learned from this experience the absolute necessity of working with doctors who understand how to communicate with children. Our ER doctor at the nearest hospital did not. He was incredibly insensitive, rough and expressed frustration at not being able to swiftly remove the beans because my little one was writhing in fear and pain. We have since nicknamed him the "picker" and tried to move on. But the experience was horrible and potentially scarring. It was quite understandable that for some time my son wanted nothing to do with doctors, dentists, or even barbers. But here is where the courage comes in... Last month (about 3 months post-"picker") my son sat bravely in the barber chair, not moving a muscle, for his entire haircut. He has even recently began playing doctor again. I am impressed with his courage in overcoming his most understandable real fear. This was sent in from a Vancouver BC mother of four... At five months old my eldest child was diagnosed with a condition
called Hydrocephalus. It is a big word for water on the brain. Her
prognosis was not good. The Dr's did not know if she would walk, talk
or even sit up. In fact they did not know whether or not she would
survive surgery. Recently sent in from a mother in Washington... It was our first ultrasound at five months along. My husband and I were
anxiously awaiting the news ... girl or boy? We found out we were
having a boy and had just begun quietly celebrating when the next
discovery came. A problem with his kidney. From that point on,
everything was a big question mark. How bad? Will he need a
transplant? Did they say chromosomal damage? Surgeries? How many?
From the minute Lincoln was born, we knew whatever the future held, this
confident child would muscle his way through.
The first bladder surgery came at only 5 weeks old at Seattle's
Children's Hospital. Then a hernia surgery, testicular surgery,
multiple circumcisions, and so on and so on. He rarely cried during
the painful procedures that required him to be awake, and once even
fell asleep as tubes were being inserted into places where things
should only come out. At each surgical appointment, Lincoln was carried
away in his surgical gown and booties, grinning over the nurses shoulder
at us as if to say "Relax, I'll be back". The day he was to have two of
his four kidneys removed our son no longer needed to be carried off. He
walked on his own down the hall toward the operating room with his
nurses and doctors. Again, at 18 months old carrying his football, he
looked at us like "Just one more guys, hang in there".
It was then that I realized the answer to the question so many had asked
.... "How can you keep doing this?" That answer ... because my son has taught me how to be strong. If he
can go through these frightening experiences alone, I can certainly
hold it together until he comes out of it. Please email your stories to: info@redfishkidsclothing.com |
