A Brazen Figure: Angelina Jolie Pitt
She is heroically sharing her journey with us all.
We all choose our own cognitive definition for bravery. In some ways, our personal experiences and observations predetermine our perception of it meaning there is never one clear cut definition.
Courage as a child is jumping from a swing as it nears its apex, or cannon-balling into the ‘deep-end’ of a pool for the very first time. As young adults, courage might mean opening ourselves up to the possibility of love and trusting another soul with our most prized possession: our hearts.
Life is not certain. It fluctuates, shedding light on some things while confusing others. There is only so much we can control. The rest is divine.
Bravery as we age will become intrinsic, an inherent part of who we will have to be in a life that is unpredictable, a life that is full of inevitable obstacles, but also rife with unfathomable joy. Our objective throughout is to be brave.
As Angelina Jolie Pitt writes in her op-ed for the NYT, life is “nothing to be feared.”
ANGELINE JOLIE PITT
Jolie Pitt’s NYT piece unveils the details of her double mastectomy and brave decision to follow through with removing both her ovaries and fallopian tube, a preventative measure that will ensure her children can never say, “Mom died of ovarian cancer.” The actress, filmmaker, and humanitarian chronicles her life altering experiences, having lost her mother, grandmother, and aunt to forms of cancer. Her own likelihood of developing breast cancer hovered around 87 percent before the procedure.
DIARY OF A SURGERY
The piece entitled, “Diary of a Surgery,” delves into the complex and life-changing decision women are sometimes forced to undertake to battle existing cancer or combat its potential occurrence. “I wanted other women to know about the options,” Jolie Pitt writes — another courageous task that truly magnifies how her compassion has no limitations. It is her ultimate hope that women remain informed of the necessary options available to them, and are able to remain strong despite life’s adversity.
STRENGTH IN ADVERSITY
It is in our darkest hour that we are able to recognize our inherent and unshakable strength, clinging to faith and moving forward with courage. “The beautiful thing about such moments in life is that there is so much clarity,” Jolie Pitt writes. “You know what you live for and what matters. It is polarizing, and it is peaceful.” Life can bombard us with difficulty, moments that challenge our sense of self, and rattle our sheer existences. But life is not for fearing, but it is for moving forward, armed with strength, vigilance, and courage.
