Forgive the break in the action, but I need to get this off my chest.

The word 'courage' is thrown around a lot in sports, particularly by writers when describing an athlete playing through injury. Just last night I was re-watching the Ravens-Cowboys game from last season and heard one of the commentators (think it was Dieon) talk about the 'couragreous' performance of Derrick Mason.  And Mason, who apparently is retiring,  was indeed unconscious in that game. He pretty much single handedly kept the Ravens in it for 3 quarters until the running game sealed it in the end. (Hmmm....)

Now, I won't bore you with the standard-issue rant about how athletes are put on a pedestal, their accomplishments blown way out of proportion, blah, blah, blah as you've no doubt heard it a million times. And I won't insult you and point out that the brave men and women who fight for our country and defend the freedoms we enjoy every single day are far more worthy of our attention or point out the inequities of how we choose to compensate those sets of individuals. You've heard it all before.

No, what made me really think about the word 'courage' was my daughter Violet.

Violet is three years old (soon to be four) and has autism. Yesterday was her first day at school, a very special day. Unfortunately, due to where we live and the location of her particular school, Violet has to take the bus.

I can not tell you how much I dreaded putting her on the bus.

I had visions of a screaming, crying Violet, kicking away the helping hands of the 'matron', the lovely lady who is in charge of the children while on the bus. Yes, I was indeed prepared for the worst.

But Violet, to her everlasting credit, was absolutely brilliant.  She went bounding up the stairs of the bus, settling into her seat and was just thrilled to pieces.

Talk about courage - a strange bus, a group of people she'd never laid eyes on, taking it completely in stride, saying "Good-bye!" - she's the bravest person I know and I felt, for whatever reason, I needed to make that declaration for all to hear.

And to say how much I love her.

And now back to our regularly scheduled programing...