Welcome back for the third installment of our series What Being Brave Looks Like. Each Monday, my guest poster will share their unique answer to the question “What does being brave look like to you?”
I’m so excited for you to meet my friend Christina Hubbard. Christina and I met at She Speaks in the summer of 2016 and I have followed her exquisitely beautiful work ever since. When we were introduced by our mutual friend Melinda, I felt an immediate connection to Christina. Being in Christina’s presence brings to mind words like deep, wise, soulful, peaceful and kind. She is one of those people who makes you feel deeply seen, heard and known when you are in conversation with her. She writes poetry and prose about being creative and free, and she encourages others to dig deeper for those treasures as well. Stay tuned, because we are plotting a joint project/ retreat together, possibly combining the messages we are passionate about, poetry and her newest endeavor, Holy Yoga. To entice you to go check out her website, here is the link to another of my favorites from her collection of poems.
This poem she so graciously agreed to share here with us, made me cry in all the best ways. Please welcome my lovely friend, Christina.
The Once Timid Tiger
“T” for timid he circled
On my ski school badge
On days one through four.
So I was.
“You are shy,” they said
At church, school, places
Where cliché ruled minds.
So I hid.
“You’re ugly,” he yelled
From the bus window
As I ran wet-faced.
So I thought.
What is brave? to you
Who has never been told
You are strong. I see
Hope in you.
Hidden, I vanquished
Words that pinned me down
With brains, books, and faith.
I fought hard.
Silently, I shrunk
From being too much
Yet was not enough,
I believed.
Unseen, I dreamed of
Olympians, heroes, stars
Who had everything
I desired.
What is brave? to us
Who worship greatness,
Yet know better: Christ
Came so small.
Quietly I grew up
Afire. Burning within,
A voice, calling soft,
Brave tiger.
“You’ve got guts,” she said
When I defended her name
From middle school girls.
So I listened.
“C” for confident,
He marked on day five.
What we believe is
What we are.
Christina Hubbard is a writer and speaker. Her work has been featured at (in)courage, Proverbs 31, and other literary publications. She loves honest, spiritually-stirring conversation and big landscapes. Christina lives on the suburban prairie of Kansas with her husband and two creative kids. Find her at CreativeandFree.com.
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