The Story Behind Unlikely Courage

All great ideas have a backstory. This is mine and the Unlikely Courage community.

“Courage is found in unlikely places”

Nanette Johnson read in Chapter three of The Fellowship of The Rings as she sat stroking her swollen belly.  Her husband, Burr, was working long hours in the Navy Yards in Washington D.C. and encouraged her to read The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings Trilogy to not only give her something to do while he was away but give them something fun to talk about when he returned home at the end of the day.

They were newlyweds, just starting their lives together on the opposite side of the country where they’d met and married. Nanette was young yet adapting well to D.C. despite the stark contrast from the only life she’d known in rural suburbia out West. Nanette smiled softly as she pondered the symbolism in her readings. She was a deep thinker and loved to learn so Tolkien, as her husband had hoped, was intriguing to her. “Courage is found in unlikely places” she read again, not knowing just how true those words would be to the child she carried.

Welcome to the Unlikely Courage Community

And thanks for stopping by! I don’t know what brought you here but I’m glad to have you. Chances are you landed here through AngelinArlington.com so you might have already figured out that (spoiler alert) Burr dies in the Navy and that Nanette read The Lord of The Rings while she was pregnant with me.

I recently asked my mom about what her thoughts were while reading the series. She said “I loved it because of the symbolism. I loved the adventure and though there was so much opposition the good was ultimately stronger. That’s the way we have to look at things now…that though evil seems all encompassing if we hold out strong the good will become stronger and prevail in the end.” My mom is one of the strongest and most courageous people I know!

As a survivor of trauma caused by losing my dad to murder when I was a toddler, I’m building a growing community that connects, validates and supports others trying to find the courage they don’t believe they have to live a happier life. In my book, Angel in Arlington, you’ll read how I did just that. The book is my life’s mission, something I did for my dad, for my family, for other trauma survivors and for me.

The Origin Story

“Unlikely Courage” became my tagline during one writing session as my coauthor, M. Bridget Cook Burch, and I were in the middle of writing on Angel in Arlington. I was laughing somewhat in disbelief at the bold things I’d done to find answers about my dad’s murder because I was the most unlikely person to have that kind of courage. Like Frodo Baggins, I felt small and insignificant most of my life. Chronic anxiety and CPTSD made me hyper aware of my mortality and over the top cautious with pretty much everything I did. I hated living that way! I wanted to feel secure yet live carefree but was unable to. Something dark and heavy kept getting in the way.

Like Frodo, when I felt a terrifying call to duty, I knew I had no choice but to step up and boldly confront those I feared most; the US Navy and my dad’s killer. There was no other way to find answers and peace, so I did it. And courage was found in the most unlikely place, in me! 

Angel In Arlington + Unlikely Courage

I have two websites that both address my why and how.

UnlikelyCourage.com is here to help others find their unlikely courage, to create community, share tools and show support for those who feel held back by their anxieties. I want to help people access miracles that are at their fingertips and no longer live embarrassed by their fear. My shame of deep emotions I didn't fully understand and the shame of who I was took over my life until I got permission to face my feelings and understood they were natural byproducts of trauma. From my experience, nothing heals quite like connection, understanding and validation. As a result, miracles happen and dreams become realities.

If you want more military, more story, more D.C., head back to AngelinArlington.com. There you’ll see a lot of military, grief and family connection. You’ll get teasers and background into real life characters in my book. As I write this post, Angel in Arlington is finished, but unpublished. My coauthor, M. Bridget Cook Burch and I have put years of blood sweat and tears into a memoir that I hope you love to read as much as we’ve loved bringing it to life.