Strength, courage and balance...

Sometimes I feel brave. Sometimes I don't.

Yesterday I met an extremely brave young lady. She is 13 years old, has a degenerative eye disease that renders her virtually incapable of seeing anything other than the most drastic changes in light and darkness. This alone must be terrifying; to have seen perfectly as a child and watch your eyesight deteriorate just as you are becoming a young woman.

But the truly remarkable thing about Brittany is that she is an accomplished equestrian rider. That's right: she mounts a horse, rides around the ring performing jumps and other maneuvers ... without the benefit of her eyesight.

Think about it: it's scary enough trying to navigate your own bedroom with your eyes closed. Can you imagine controlling an 1100lb animal through an obstacle course blindly? I think Brittany is amazing, and the next time I'm feeling not so brave I'm going to remember her.