What is the bravest thing you have ever done?

I have a very brave brother. It was his son who died of leukaemia aged 16 after two years of gruelling treatment. A few years later my brother's wife collapsed and died aged 49. My brother lost his son and his wife and has picked himself up and got on with his life.

Going on a foreign trip as part of my teaching degree. I had never flown, but we all travelled in a coach so I thought I'd be fine. However, as I knew no one else, they all disappeared through the airport. I managed to get through the 1st stage, not realising it was only the first stage! Only just caught the plane, despite arriving 2.5hrs early.

While away I tore my Achilles tendon, lecturers wouldn't sort a Dr, so flew home 10 days later having seen no one. When i saw my Dr the next day, he told me flying home should have killed me, because of blood clots...i was a mature student but didn't stand up for myself

Horse riding through the Rocky Mountains for three hours. We weren't given a helmet and I couldn't reach the stirrups! Very scary as the horse kept slipping on the rocks!

Going up in a Glider. There is a Gliding school across the road from us & one sunny afternoon I suddenly thought - why not go up in one rather than just watching them going over so I went over then & there & they took me up.
It was just magic. Obviously silent as no engine & we went over my garden & all the local neighbourhood. We were up about an hour &I loved it. It was so smooth & all you can hear is the wind on the wings. I had a go at flying it too- not for long.
A little while afterwards a friend was having his 50th birthday so we bought him a trip. He was keen to have a go but he came off looking green & was sick as soon as he got out.
I'd do it again in a shot but it has got a lot more expensive now- I think I paid £5.

Deciding to end a 38 Yr marriage and walk away from a lovely big house and comfortable life. But I wasn't really happy and hadn't been for many years. Now settled in my own little home about to retire and enjoy what life I have in front of me.

Going on holiday alone, after being widowed. I went on safari (something I has always wanted to do). Everyone except me were couples, most were on honeymoon, so I didn't feel that I could "buddy up" or "tag along" with anyone. I felt really alone, but the experience was worth it!

Hitch hiked to Italy with my boyfriend to see a friend. We took a tent and sleepung bags and very little else! Met some nice people on the way and saw a lot of places but it was pretty uncomfortable and tiring at times.

At age seventeen on a sunny day in Bournemouth clinic, hearing all the children out on the beach: went through an abortion that I didn't want because I was alone, single and frightened of my parents throwing me out.
Years and years later when trying to adopt ( couldn't have kids) sticking up for myself when during Home Study the SW told me to 'write a letter to the aborted baby explaining why you did what you did and asking to be forgiven'.

I wrote it. I fell apart when she told me it sounded 'too slick and too professional'.

Aged about 19. I worked in the office of the local Technical College. There were 8 of us in the office and the Headmaster’s office was next door. He was a hateful man. Rude and disrespectful. The 30+ teachers disliked him including his wife who was also a teacher.
One day he called me into his office and questioned me about a notice that he had asked me to put up the previous evening on a certain notice board. Yes. Job was done. He said it was not there the previous night.
I said it was done.
He wanted me to go with him to the notice board and show him the notice.

I was so angry. This was typical behaviour for him. I refused and said I was no longer a school pupil, I was an employee, that I had placed the notice in position and would not have my integrity questioned. Where I got the bravery from I don’t know. Headmaster said ‘you will show me’.
I said ‘I will not’.... and threw my shorthand hotter at the wall just over his shoulder.
I left his office via the adjoining door into our own office. All were standing looking at me unbelievingly. Agog!!
That’s it I thought. That’s me sacked.
But no. It was never mentioned again.

Started a Law Degree at 32. I got it and practiced for several years.
Some 15 years on, I went back to college and retrained as a holistic therapist then set up my own business.

**next day he said it was not there the previous night.....

**shorthand jotter not hotter.

The bravest thing I've done recently is almost posted on the news and politics thread. But I bottled out.

I saved a gosling from a fishing hook. He was thrashing around in panic and it was terribly traumatic. Doesn't sound particularly brave but I had to climb on an overhanging bough over the pond with a very angry Mummy and Daddy Goose hissing at me. And an audience of thousands. Possibly not thousands. But I'm sure many people will now have footage of me doing my save a goose action.

I am inspired and in awe of all of these stories; you are all AMAZING! My thoughts and sympathies for those that have had to be strong doing brave deeds out of dire situations.

I honestly can't think of anything exceptionally brave I have done, but I have always been told that I am calm in bad situations; is that brave, or seeing what needs doing when others are having a hard time?

I do remember taking my 3 yr old daughter to emergency with an infection when a loud commotion broke out in the reception area. Luckily the exam room where we were waiting had a door; I slammed it, blocked it with a chair while there was havoc raging. It turned out the police needed to be called for a man having either a drug or mental health incident and the nursed commended me for my actions. I just remember thinking that this was perhaps a regular part of their jobs and that they were very brave to have such dedication to a career in nursing.

Don't think it was a particularly brave but I felt like a super hero after this. I was driving home with my two boys a few years ago. It is a single track rural road with little traffic. Something caught my eye so I stopped the car. It was a young deer hanging upside down with one leg caught between the two lengths of wire fence (somehow the wire had twisted). The poor thing was really panicking and I pulled the wires apart, cutting my hands (it was barbed wire) and released it. My youngest son thought I was amazing and when I see a deer on our road I often wonder if it is a descendant of that deer. Not brave but was a real adrenalin rush.
The scariest thing I did was 4 years ago, going with my lovely Dad to identify my brother's body after he had been killed in a motorbike accident. I had never seen a dead body but had to support my Dad. Sadly since then I have lost my lovely Dad and my darling husband - doesn't get any easier.

Walked away from a very long unhappy controlling marriage with just a small suitcase. We had moved abroad to retire, I came back to the UK to start over, should have done it years ago.

Joined internet dating a few weeks ago. Very interesting so far the conversations vary from men my age group wanting someone much younger or a housekeeper, some even want another women so that she can converse with their daughters, daughters-in-law and grand daughters about "girly" things. Definitely a hard hat is required.

I am humbled to read so many of these stories of real courage and heartbreak. What an emotional thread this has been. to all those who have suffered or lost someone.

switching off my husbands life support, beating cancer 2 years ago and in the last month saying goodbye to my partner/companion of 17 years and telling him that i would be fine and it was time for him to go to his first wife and promising that we would all get together when my time comes and keeping to myself that i have cancer again and this time it will be more difficult to get through it without him by my side.
bravery comes in all shapes and sizes, in hospital last month i had 4 injections without the numbing cream as i am so scared of needles ( i use emla cream ) and my darling telling me on the phone how proud he was of me.

This is an amazing thread, getting us all thinking about times we've been brave. I suffered badly from bowel disease as a young Mum, it was dreadful and affected many aspects of my health, my life and my confidence. My bravest moments were the initial collectomy op, where my large bowel was removed, the second op to fix adhesions, the third to create a J pouch alternative to my bowel and then a further one in my thirties to correct some problems. Each time I had to summon the courage to endure a foot long wound to my belly and an ileostomy when I woke. I can't deny I was terrified but now age 50 I feel impressed by my younger self's courage. Every story here is an inspiration. We all need a boost sometimes and this has reminded me how far I've come!! Thank you

Dear wonderful Gransnetians,
I have a problem! I bought a shower body wash sponge about two years ago. The sponge is round and yellow with a “coating” of a light oat colour on one side. The sponge does look like the current sponges that a certain TB. chain stocks. But there’s do not have that oat coloured coating on one side. This sponge is simply wonderful. The sponge never goes hard. The sponge is always soft. I can only assume that this coating on one side is what keeps the sponge in such excellent condition! I always rinse the sponge after each shower. To my mind it’s the perfect shower sponge. I use the sponge everyday to shower. The sponge looks like new!
I cannot remember where I bought the sponge! I’ve looked in all the obvious stockists, both online and in shop, but know one has this particular sponge! I would love to get some more!
Can any of you marvellous Gransnet people help?!!

Back packed from Israel across Europe on my own in the 70s

Stand up at the old bailey and read my report to the judge in respect of my sons death against the woman who murdered him.
I was shaking at first and in tears but I managed to pull myself together and speak out for my son I had kept diaries for 8 years .
She got 18 years.

So many really brave stories. Mine is nothing, in comparison. We had moved to our first house, and I knew no-one. Money was very tight, so when I saw an advert to earn money in my spare time I applied. It turned out to be selling cosmetics door to door, like an Avon lady.
I was horrified. I had always been painfully shy. The lady insisted on leaving me a kit, saying that she would return in two weeks. On the last evening, knowing that I would be mortified to admit that I had been to scared to even try, I ventured out and started knocking on doors. I was scared to death. I don’t know if the neighbours took pity on my obvious terror, but I returned home with lots of orders.
It turned my life around, and I have never been afraid to socialise since then.

Giving up the best job I ever had in my life, selling my flat & setting off from London on my own to go travelling in my 20s, not knowing where I was going to end up ..scared but also really excited! Worked out really well..so glad I took the risk.!