On Courage

I’d like to end this busy week with a peaceful and touching note we received from one of the English teachers at Alicia’s high school (Granite Bay High School) wrote into the site today:

“…I wanted to share some thoughts about To Kill a Mockingbird (her favorite book) that relate to Alicia’s situation. In the novel there is an elderly woman, Mrs. Dubose, who was in a lot of physical discomfort. Atticus, as a punishment for Jem, his son, for chopping down her camellia bushes asks him to read to Mrs. Dubose each day.

Atticus does this to teach Jem what ‘real courage’ is. In Atticus’s words, real courage ‘Is when you know you’re licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what.’

This is exactly what Alicia has done. In the face of tremendous odds, she has courageously faced her situation. Atticus’s final words to Jem about Mrs. Dubose, words which also ring true for Alicia, were, ‘She was the bravest person I ever knew.’

Alicia has demonstrated such grace and faith under such difficult circumstances. I so admire her courage and tenacity. She is our model of true courage, grace, and love!”

This teacher’s comment capture a common thread in all the notes and stories shared across all Alicia-related platforms today. All we can say here back at Team Parlette HQ is thank you again to this generous and thoughtful community of well-wishers for your anecdotes, hopes of cupcakes and apple fritters, sweet thoughts about Clarabelle, and – even from the non-religious among us – prayers and positive thoughts of peace, grace, and faith.

Good night, and God bless.