What Being Brave Looks Like: The Once Timid Tiger

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.