Welcome to this month’s BRAVE Interview with Donna Doyon!
I’m Donna Doyon, a self-proclaimed recovering ugly duckling, who usually thinks I can’t do something, and then go on to prove myself wrong. I’m working to break the cycle of starting with the doubt, but perhaps my stubborn nature enjoys the challenges I put out there for myself.
When Karen invited me to share my One Brave Thing story, I pasted a smile on my face and replied, “Sure! That would be great!”
Inside I thought, “I haven’t done anything brave! What the heck am I supposed to share? Who cares about anything I’ve done?”
Of course, that was just the ugly duckling making a bold appearance.
Intrigued and challenged by the question, I decided to prove myself wrong–on a large, public stage. I went to Facebook and began what I called “30 Bits of Bravery.” Over 30 days, I went Live and shared my stories of courage. Some would significantly impact my life; others were quieter, internal battles, with me as the victor.
I shared the story of quitting a decent paying, but highly stressful job to start my own undefined business. I shared the story of leaving my hometown at age 18 to attend college 2,000 miles away. I shared the story of serving my country and protecting a young airman from a menacing cockroach (I think that is one of my favorite stories).
I came up with more than 30 tales of bravery; not all were shared during this Live broadcast series. The others will be revealed, or not, at a date in the future.
Some of my stories were from the distant past. Others happened in recent years. And a couple occurred Live on my Facebook feed (I think those were the scariest).
The question: “What is your One Brave Thing?” is daunting. But I do have an answer.
My One Brave Thing was speaking at my son’s memorial service.
My son, Sean, died in 2011. He was barely 21-years-old.
No one would expect me to speak at his memorial service. No one would judge me for not sharing my Sean stories. No one would expect me to do anything other than survive the ordeal.
I didn’t know before the service started that I would speak. I was a trained speaker, so the typical fears of speaking in public were not mine to overcome. But I was also a grieving mother who couldn’t wrap her thoughts around the pain she felt in her heart. I didn’t think I could do it.
I considered and then discarded the idea. Thought of the stories I’d share, and realized there wasn’t enough time to capture the strength and magic of our bond.
My older son served as the host of the service. At one point he glanced my way. I heard his unasked question. I nodded and moved to the front of the room.
And there, I shared a handful of my favorite memories. I laughed. I cried. Those who loved Sean or loved me, laughed and cried with me.
I didn’t feel brave at the time. I felt strong. I felt the love a mother feels for her child. I felt the need to celebrate his life in a way that only I could do.
I look back on that event and am in awe. I didn’t think I could do it, but I did. And with that brave act, my heart began to heal.
Donna Doyon is a self-proclaimed “recovering ugly duckling” who uses stories to inspire and encourage women to create their own “happily ever after.”
She is the author of Glow: Renew Your Spirit & Release Your Inner Beauty and Garden Grown Wisdom, both collections of lesson-filled short stories.
She hosts a weekly podcast, Reflections of a Recovering Ugly Duckling, which encourages listeners to discover and develop their full potential as unique individuals.
Visit her website: http://donnadoyon.com
Listen to her podcast on your favorite podcast app or at http://donnadoyon.com/category/podcast
Connect with her on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DonnaDoyonPodcastHost
Karen Creamer
