What is the bravest thing you have ever done?

Doesn’t sound very brave but it was scary. I had a hip replacement in my 40s and was told to ‘put my affairs in order’ just in case and , as a single parent , I found this frightening for them as much as me. Everything was fine but I can’t think how I was so calm about it as I think I would now panic.

I have saved my sisters life.... twice! First time, she was newborn just out of hospital, I was 5 yrs old. Her cot was next to me in my bedroom. We had a paraffin heater in the room as it was winter, well it set the room on fire. I remember waking up to flames above the heater, wallpaper on fire, and a dark smoke cloud covering the ceiling getting lower and lower. I was shouting for mum & dad but they didn't come. I tried to lower the side of the cot, but it had a child lock that I did not understand, so decided to climb up into the cloud of smoke over the side of her cot, threw her over my shoulder, climbed back down, and collapsed in the hallway with her. My parents let me choose wallpaper for my bedroom after and I picked Rupert Bear. The 2nd time when I was ten and she was 5, we were at a holiday camp with an outdoor unattended pool. No-one was there, my sister decided to jump in on top of me in the deep end, she could not swim! I saw her sink, dived down to grab her, pushed her over the side of the pool by standing on the pool floor underwater myself, she was so heavy to lift over the side, I kept trying, eventually did it, but had run out of energy under for so long. I remember floating in the water thinking "oh I must be drowning" but it was very calm. Next thing I knew someone hauled me out, my sister was crying saying it was all her fault. Bless her cotton socks!

I have always been PETRIFIED of physical violence (maybe because I grew up in a happy, respectful household). I would always describe myself as 'a coward'. An event when I was about 20 and still living at home, shook me to the core.
We lived in a bungalow and for some reason, the back door was not locked that night when my parents went to bed. At the time I was working and taking evening classes; I had been doing my homework until about 1 am.
I went to bed and I was suddenly woken by my father saying ' Go away boy, go away, just go away'... I felt FEAR in my father's voice and I jumped out of bed, ran to the back door where both my parents were blocking the entrance to 'the boy' and my mother had to hold me back because I was ready to go out and demolish him --- probably a teenager looking for easy pickings.
We eventually went back to bed but I could not sleep ... I could not understand my reaction; it was totally unlike me, but the moment I felt my parents were in danger, any regard for what might happen went out of the window.
I don't think it was 'brave', but I think that in extreme circumstances NO ONE KNOWS how they are going to react. Whether they are going to freeze or confront the problem regardless of the consequences.

I thought of adding something I did which felt brave - but it was nothing as compared with what others have done and I just want to say how much I admire so many of the truly courageous things people have done and am so sorry at the pain so many have faced. I hope for better days for all of those who have suffered so much.

Elective surgery when you feel OK. A lot of illnesses and diseases are invisible, there are few telltale signs. Having to say yes to a major operation when you feel OK (for now) is terrifying, knowing that when you come out your life will have changed forever

Mine was a brain tumour, life has never been the same but I survived and although I am not my old self I had the opportunity to be a 'new self'. As it is for many of the ladies on here who have faced trauma and fear

People say"oh you are so brave". Well I wasn't. I was terrified but the bravery comes from coping, leaning on friends and other support, not giving up and just getting on with life bit by bit

My heart goes out to anyone who has to face any impossible choice with bravery and I wish I could tell them how much stronger it will make you (later)

Not having an abortion and run away back home to France, aged 19! Such a shock and stayed in bed 2 days but .... my lovely, wonderful, strong English boy and I decided to keep the baby and get married.
45 years later no regrets and the best daughter one could ever wish for!

What a fascinating thread! My two bravest things happened in my fifties....first was taking a term out from teaching to travel solo to Australia, NZ and then the Seychelles for nearly 3 months. I thought that would be the bravest ever. Three years later my DD was diagnosed with terminal cancer and the bravest thing I did was to be strong for her and the rest of my family. She was truly amazing and nothing scares me now.....even getting married again in my sixties.

I have been fortunate to travel to many countries with my job. After arriving in a place called Tutikoren in SW India I found myself in a small airport, in the middle of nowhere, where everyone who had been on the very small plane with me had been picked up by friends and relatives. I was left alone, without a signal on my phone, waiting for a taxi which should have come to pick me up from my hotel but hadn't. It was 42 degrees, I had no water and felt very homesick and scared. Fortunately a member of staff (one of 2!) came out and phoned the hotel for me and 30 minutes later I was picked up.

Ditto - but I left with 2 small children 3 & 6 after having my eye fractured... leaving the security of a home and a fairly wealthy husband for nothing and nobody - but I had a few good friends, so thank goodness for friends!

OP here I am so humbled reading your stories.
What amazing people you all are.
?????????????

Not taking my husband back when his mistress kicked him out! I put in for the divorce and had no idea what the future would hold. I had been a stay at home mother for 16 years and he was a police officer who worked shifts.
I got the house in the divorce but not the means to pay for the mortgage except for the dsss paying the interest. We had just bought a computer before we split up so I went to night classes to learn how to use it and from their went on to several college courses and then an access to health and social studies and then three years training to be a nurse. So I kept my house and was able to pay the mortgage. I finally met someone else 14 years ago this year and we both sold our properties and we have a lovely 4 bed house together now and mortgage free. He is the love of my life and would have been married now if it hadn't been for Covid so hoping to go ahead next year now.
Other than that does going on all the coaster rides throughout the country with my son's count? Especially 'Smiler' in Alton Towers which has 14 inversions! I just love the adrenaline rush!

I had split up with my partner (amicably) and he was supposed to be paying me for my car which he wanted to buy, as I had bought a newer model.

For three months he kept saying I’ll pay you on payday… (which was every week for him) and it never happened. He’d moved from London to Margate in this time, and said if I came down on a certain Friday he’d have the money for me.

So like a fool, off I went. When I arrived the stories started… ‘not had much work, short of pay etc etc…’ I was furious and drove home empty handed. Two weeks later, he said the same. Come on Friday I’ll have the money for you.

Then I saw on his Facebook that he would be driving to Southend on the Friday morning to be with his new woman. So I was being stitched up again as I’d get there and he’d be gone!

Unfortunately, the anger inside me was boiling and I came up with a pretty wild idea which would be scary, because if I got caught I could have got seriously harmed.

But the defiant bit** inside me said ‘Do it!’

On Thursday night, I went for a drive with a friend. Strangely, we ended up in Ramsgate! Had a lovely evening. Time to go home and I drove back to Margate. To his road. Parked my car up the street and told my friend to jump in. She’s be driving it home. I had insured her to do so.

Bold as brass, with my heart absolutely pounding out of my chest, I stomped down the road full of anger, frustration, defiance and nerves and opened the car with my spare key.

I got inside and locked the doors, my hands shaking so much I couldn’t get the key in the ignition… had to turn on the interior light to find it and eventually started it up.

The lights in his hallway were on and I could see people moving around. I was so scared he was going to come out and cause a problem. He was a big burly very angry man at times, who I know would have hurt me if I’d been caught. He had a terrible temper which I’d seen previously and I didn’t want to be on the end of that!

The car was parked so tightly between two others I struggled to get it out of the space, but I eventually did it, and even though it was only minutes that had passed, it felt like hours! I was shaking like a leaf! I roared off up the road and passing my friend, tooted at her to follow me and we drove off.

The petrol tank was almost empty so we stopped at the garage we had passed on the way down. I was trembling and really hyper, couldn’t believe I’d done it - couldn’t believe I’d got away with it! It wasn’t theft. It was my car in my name, I was the legal owner.

I couldn’t fill up with petrol, as I was shaking way too much, so my friend did it for me. We went into the garage saying how we couldn’t believe I’d had the balls to do it, laughing, nervously talking and shaking at the same time. We were both so hyped it was unreal.

The garage attendant was shocked on hearing what we were saying and said she was going to call the police because of what she’d heard!

We looked at each other and ran out, got into the cars and drove off to the next garage where we stopped so I could calm down properly.

At this point, I phoned the police to inform them the deed was done. I had called them previously to ask their advice, and tell them what I was going to be doing. They said it was a civil matter and I was entitled to take my car when I wanted to. Upon telling them he was likely to turn violent, they said they would meet me at his property at midnight. Sadly they couldn’t come due to an incident, so I continued with the plan without them. They were fully aware of everything, and I had a reference number to refer to should anything happen.

The policewoman I spoke to noted everything down and wished me a safe journey back to London.

We arrived home at around 4am. Still on a high, the shaking had finally stopped but I felt so triumphant.

My phone had been ringing all the way home, from him trying to contact me. Sixty four calls and 14 text messages and I had ignored each and every one.

I dropped my friend home, apologising as she had work in the morning and had to be up at 7am. She said she’d never experienced anything like it in her life, and had been so thrilled and excited by it all, and the rush of adrenaline she got from it was amazing.

Lying in bed an hour later, after having to explain everything to my daughter (who was annoyed I’d not invited her along!) I started listening to the voicemail messages he’d sent.

‘YOUR car has been stolen! Someone has taken it from outside the house. And then tears.

‘I won’t be paying for a stolen car as I won’t be able to get to work..’ They just went on and on.

And then the last one.

‘You bit**! You’ve made me look like a fool in front of everyone. My family and the police! I’ll get you for this. The police came round earlier and told me what you’d done. You’ve ruined my life!’ ?

My friend called me at lunchtime the next day for an update. I told her what had been said, and she said she was shattered but it didn’t matter - she’d never had such a brilliant and exciting time in all her life. Said she felt a bit like Thelma and Louise as we drove away from his house! ?

Me… I was happy to take back what was mine.. the car had been wrecked and wasn’t worth a dime, it stank of cigarettes smoke and was full of trash. But it was mine and I got it back. And I got rid of him completely in the long run.

Brave? Very.
Stupid? Probably.
Scary? Definitely.
Exciting? Oh yes!

I have seen him since at a football match, he scowled and said nothing as my daughter and I passed him, arm in arm and giggling away at him!

Thinking back I don’t know where I actually got the balls to do something so mad, but it’s certainly something I’ll never regret.

Would I do it again….? Well, I’m a ‘never say never’ kinda girl… so watch this space! ??

At 57 years of age making a doctors appointment to ask for a referral. I am pretty sure I am on the autistic spectrum. I have done and overcome a lot of things in my life but this was the hardest, I am not sure why but it took a lot of courage for me to make that appointment. It’s on Monday.

I think the bravest thing done was stand with a dead body waiting 6 hours for the doctor to turn up. The worst thing was the window was open and a rush of air came in and thought the lady was not dead I went and checked.

Returned to Australia with DH and two young children then returned to the U.K. two years later with said husband and children! Both times had no jobs or any idea where we would live. Some would say it was foolhardy rather than brave ? but it all worked out.

Left my controlling husband and have now my own money and home, no more asking for money and having to explain why I need it.

Nowhere nearly as brave as a lot of the posts on here.
I was in an abusive relationship & we was living with his parents a couple of hours away from my friends & family. One morning he came at me in front of my 3yo dd, the only thing that stopped him from really hitting me was a stair gate on her bedroom door. Later that day I found out I was pregnant & knew that if I didn't leave with one child I'd never go with 2 (had tried to leave 3 times previously but always chickened out) The next week while everyone was at work me & my daughter left with only a suitcase & the train fare home to my family, I never regretted it.
A few years later I met another man & married him knowing he had a terminal heart disease, he died just before our second wedding anniversary.
When I had an emotional breakdown & was very poorly 7 years ago admitting I needed help & agreed to admit myself to the mental health hospital so my dh wouldn't have to section me. Lost all of my "friends" as mh seems to scare everyone away ??‍♀️

In the late 90's I went paragliding in Olu Deniz Turkey. This invovled jumping off the Babadag Mountain strapped to a (very handsome) Turkish man. The descent down to ground level took around half an hour, a truly sublime experience.

It was a tad scary in the moments when we first jumped off the mountain as the wind seemed to be blowing us back toward the mountain face. I felt a true sense of unexplainable calm in those moments, thinking that if this was 'my time' so be it.......I think it was the sense that I could do absolutely nothing about it which brought about this sense of fatalistic calm. Happily all was well, and I came home with the T-Shirt and video.

The other thing I've done which might be thought of as brave was, at aged 47, up sticks from where I'd always lived in Northern England, to move as a Billy No Mates to Kent for a new job. I loved it there, close to London, a little flat in the centre of town close to work and the train station, and I made a lot of good friends. I also met my husband, of now 10 years, there. So, a leap of faith that turned out to be life changing.

I stayed with my Dad when he died. I saved my son from a dog. I forgave my husband .

Saying NO for the first time to my ex

Forcing myself on a plane because my dh loves travel but since lockdown l have decided no more. He in all fairness has said fine, which is a weight lifted of my shoulders!

Pearlsaminger

Just in awe of your story , so well written, I was on the edge
of my seat reading it!

Dealt with a very aggressive parent who bowled into the school I worked in to assault his son's teacher. I found a classroom assistant trying to calm him down in a corridor and took over the effort. He came nose to nose with me and made all kinds of threats, but I applied the broken record technique for quite a while and he eventually left. The classroom assistant had to be taken home as he had gone into shock.Threats of violence were common in the school I worked in. This was in the days before Dunblane when schools were sitting targets.

Canoed to the Farne Islands whilst at college & I was the only girl Nearly bloody killed me !

I am in awe of you ladies who have coped with what life has thrown at you and survived.
My husband as I had a campervan trip in Australia and New Zealand for 3 months and during that time I did a tandem parachute jump in Australia over the same beach our daughter had jumped a few years previously, I hate takeoff in planes and taking off in a tiny plane, sitting on the floor facing backwards was very scary, but I was so pleased I had the courage to jump! When we got to New Zealand my husband decided to do a hang glide off a mountain and I joined in with a paraglide. Experiences we both treasure for pushing ourselves very far outside our comfort zone.