Designs for Courageous Women

September 05, 2025

Here are some of my favorite designs for courageous women - especially those who have endured breast cancer (yuck to that C word). And, in the spirit of courage, let me share a wonderful story with you that all began with an anklet.

Years ago, when I became a single mother, I felt like my world was suddenly thrust upside down. Days felt filled with uncertainty - however, I had no choice but to stay focused for the sake of my girls (and, of course) myself. Every day or every week I made a list of things that needed to get done, and as things were completed, I'd check off the list. One-by-one I could at least see that I was making progress even if the days felt like much of a blur.

I began noticing that things that gave me joy weren't necessarily making it onto my lists. I was just doing the things that needed to get done, not things I wanted to get done. So, despite the anxiety I felt about traveling, I decided to travel overseas again. The idea was overwhelmingly anxiety-filled for me. But I applied to a few house sits and landed upon one in Switzerland. We'd leave for a month and somehow, I'd manage in a country in which I had never been, in a country where I had never driven, in a part of the country that spoke German (I do not speak German). I had one suitcase packed along with a travel-sized stroller and a car seat. My girls were quite young at the time - about 2 years old and 5 years old. So, I had to be able to lug all of this stuff on my own. Pack light, pack strategically - and hope for the best.

In Switzerland the year I got the anklet. It's tied
to the anklet in the foreground of the photo.

We arrived to the airport for our international flight to Zurich, Switzerland. We made it through security and as we were repacking our things, we looked down and noticed a circular copper item with a red string. I picked it up - it was a bracelet (or anklet for me) that said "COURAGE" on it. I felt like the Universe was speaking to me. Have courage, it whispered. You can do this.

I tied the Courage anklet on my right ankle and for years, that's where it remained. I tied a pretty damn good knot apparently because that anklet didn't budge.

The summer in Switzerland at a charming chateau was the first of many experiences as a single mom with my girls. Every summer since (minus COVID when the world shut down) we have traveled together.

It was just before our summer in Scotland when I finally decided to cut off the very-worn anklet and tie new strings on it and reaffix it to my ankle. I had black string. Apparently that string wasn't meant for me. It fell off within a day. The only other spare string we had in the house was pink (my least favorite color) but it's what we had so I tied it up and tied it back on.

While in Scotland on a glorious summer's day, I met a woman who had (that day) been informed she had cancer. I had laid out a blanket at park, the girls were off running through a garden maze in front of a mansion and not far away from me was someone who the universe decided I should meet. Her son and dog played with my girls and so she and I began chatting.

My friend sending a pic
of her enduring
chemo treatment
wearing my "courage"

I think it was because I was a perfect stranger, she felt comfortable unloading some of the weight she carried on her shoulders. Breast cancer. Triple negative. Stage 4. omg. Her son was the age of my younger daughter. We talked for the entire day - after all, the park where we were had a cafe, had a whole field of highland coos, had fairy gardens, had all you really needed to literally spend the entire day in nature.

I told her a bit about how my daughters and I got into traveling and I told her about my anklet. I took it as a sign that traveling with them was something I needed to do - even though every foreign country we traveled to gave me loads of anxiety that I just had to accept. I told her about my military background and how that probably influenced my decisions to keep traveling. Anyway, by the end of the day, I looked down at my anklet and decided that the courage I carried needed a new home. I removed it from my ankle and gave it to her. I told her when she was done with treatment, perhaps I'll get it back from her.

We big cried together. Hugged. And with that, a wonderful friendship was born.

I'd love to say that the ugly C word has vanished, but she continues the fight (FOUR years later). She does every single treatment possible to help her rid that awful disease from her body. She no longer has breast cancer (which had spread to other parts of her body). The C word has reduced significantly but she still fights on. She sometimes takes a photo of the courage bracelet when she goes for chemo treatments.

So, in honor of my beautiful Scottish friend and all the other ladies out there who are phenomenal women ... here are some of my favorite designs. (Note: all designs can be customized for you. They also come in a variety of clothing styles, coffee mugs, tote bags, yoga mats, greeting cards, wall art and more)