When thinking about what Hogwarts house I would be in I never ever thought I’d be in Gryffindor because I didn’t think I was brave. And to be in Gryffindor you have to be brave. I decided I was more of a Hufflepuff. I’m kind, loyal and hardworking, all Hufflepuff traits. I was alright with not being a Gryffindor. I was alright not being brave.

I went on a retreat two weekends ago and before I went I had to do one of those personality tests. We were asked different questions like “I always look on the bright side” and asked to rate them as very much like me, like me, neutral, unlike me and very unlike me. After you finish answering all the questions they rank the 24 characteristics.

My top three were kindness, honesty and bravery. At first it didn’t register that bravery was in my top three. When it finally sunk in I was so surprised. Bravery? Me? I’m not a physically brave person. I’m definitely a flight person and not a fight person. I don’t think I could ever run into a burning building or fight on the front lines. I just don’t see myself as brave.

Upon further reflection I realized that for me honesty and bravery go hand in hand. I may not be physically brave, but I’m verbally brave. I have no fears when it comes to standing up for what I believe in. Many times I have been the only person on one side of the argument and that doesn’t bother me. I have no qualms about telling girls on my floor to be quiet so I can go to sleep. I tell people what I think.

Once I reflected on all the times I’d said what everyone else was too afraid to say and the times I stood up for my beliefs, I realized I was pretty brave. The test actually did know what it was talking about. I may not have stereotypical bravery, but I have my own sort. My bravery is in my words. The more I thought about it the more types of bravery I came up with.

People can be emotionally brave. After getting your heart broken love can feel like the worst thing in the world. Starting a new relationship is brave.

People can be mentally brave. Living with a mental illness like an anxiety disorder can make it difficult to take part in normal activities. Getting out of bed and facing the world is brave.

People can be brave through being peacemakers and allies. Being a bystander is easy and safe. Standing up to a bully instead of being a bystander, whether it be at school, at work or just in the world, is brave.

People can be socially brave. Rosa Parks' refusal to give up her seat was brave because of the race relations of the time. Every single LGTBQ+ person who comes out of the closet is brave in the face of what members of society may think. All those at Standing Rock protesting the pipeline are brave in the face of the consequences for their protests.

Bravery is not necessarily brawn. And that’s what I never realized. You can be brave and not be a firefighter, a police officer or a soldier. There are different types of bravery. We are all brave in our own way. It’s all about figuring out which sort of bravery you’ve got. Whether it be physically, verbally, emotionally, mentally, socially or any other sort we are all brave. Next time when you think about which Hogwarts house you belong to don’t discount Gryffindor just because you don’t associate yourself with bravery. Remember that you don’t have to face flying bullets to be brave. You can be brave in your everyday actions.