Fear.

I'm going to be honest, here.

I'm afraid of the dark.

I don't mean like "Ah! It's dark out! Oh no!"

I mean like, absolutely terrified of even opening an outside door.

I can't even walk to the end of my driveway to leave the trash on the curb after the sun sets.

But tonight, I challenged my fear.

I walked home from my neighbor's two houses down.

You might think it's not a big deal, but I struggled to walk calmly up the wet street with only my keychain flashlight for protection. Fear consumed me. What was behind me? Was that a shadow a mailbox or a person? I forced myself to walk at a normal pace, even though everything in me told me to run for it.

I was terrified. But I made it to my safe, warm, locked house.

I marvel at the people who can just stand there in the night and still have a steady heartbeat.