Mother tongue: Courage

I recently skimmed through an article that made a big impression on me. I put it to one side to read through in a quiet moment - and it fell victim to my tidying-up partner. But that's another story for another time. So the article was bundled up, tied up and can't be found, but I kept the most important parts. Perhaps the title was even the same as that of this column. A children's book author wrote about courage. About the courage she often doesn't have and the courage she so desperately wants to give her child. But where to get it from? In a world that is full of potential dangers. In which you have to explain to your child at some point that accidents happen, diseases break out or why someone is setting off bombs. That people die. The author spoke of her own fear. And it reminded me a lot of myself. And of that most terrible of all landing approaches. Berlin-Zurich, after two days without my child, I was so looking forward to getting home. The flight home is bumpy, the landing is the purest wobble - during which the pilot has to take off again and which only works on the second attempt. I died countless deaths in that quarter of an hour and swore I would never get on a plane without my daughter again, oh no, preferably not at all. At that moment, I realized how much I have clung to life since the birth of my child. That fear came into my life with Ada. Of something happening to her - or to me. I have to be there for her. My "live fast, die young" attitude is long gone. Too late anyway. But how do I reconcile my fears with my desire for my daughter to become a courageous, bold woman? That she goes out into the world and doesn't let herself be held back. Especially not because of fear. What can I give her when even a shaking airplane sends me into a panic? Unfortunately, I can't remember what the clever author, who also writes incredibly great children's books, recommended in this case. I only know what I resolved to do after this horror flight (after which I got on the plane alone again and again, of course). Namely, not to sugarcoat anything for my child. She should know that there is good and evil in this world, life and death. She should know that mommy is sometimes afraid too. That things happen that are bad, that we can't protect ourselves from. And that life is still beautiful. That all of this is part of it. The joy, the sadness and the courage. That every day needs to be lived. Celebrated. Embraced. That life is full of possibilities.

The latest collection from Bobo Choses fits this mood perfectly. "Neverending Summer" was inspired by the ethologist and anthropologist Jane Goodall, who in the conservative 1950s gives up her career as a secretary, realizes her dream and goes to Africa. She successfully completes her doctorate without having studied beforehand. She dedicates her life to the protection of chimpanzees. She writes books, lectures, founds a research center and is now a UN peace ambassador. It's sad to think that she let her fear stop her. I want to tell my girl about such role models. And to encourage her. The Jane swimsuit will probably be our favorite piece of the (hopefully soon) coming summer.