I saw this post by Tera Jean Elness on Instagram last week and it got me thinking, and of course, it got me writing, too.
To honor is to revere and to revere is to regard with respect tinged with awe.
(and big thanks to dictionary dot com cuz I really LOVE that definition)
Yes.
Tinged with awe.
Pretty awesome, amen?
Honor your brave Beloved.
Hold it in high regard and give it the weight it deserves.
Honor your brave.
Your brave in staying.
Your brave in going.
Your brave in trying despite the risk.
Your brave in holding on.
Your brave in letting go.
Your brave in finally – FINALLY – living fully and freely as YOU.
Yes.
Honor your brave Beloved.
Your brave in the heartache.
Your brave in the tears.
Your brave you’ve been hiding all of these years because you believed that your voice was simply one of many and not one that needs to be heard.
What a lie amen.
Honor your brave Beloved.
Honor it.
It deserves it.
The words “honor your brave” really spoke to me, and I began to think about the times when I didn’t think of myself as brave. The brave in holding on and letting go and living fully.
I made a list in my notebook and was led by an item on that list. An item that is too private to share but one that needed to be written. I hope you find some inspiration in Tera’s words this weekend, and I would love to hear what path these words led you.
Happy Writing!
Leigh Anne finished up her 14th year of teaching today. It was a wild and wacky one but amazing nevertheless. She is looking forward to some summer reading and writing time by the pool.
Three Teachers Talk 
The definition you provided about honor and revere- to regard with respect tinged with awe- echoed in my brain before I began writing for a few hours. I realized that I am in awe of nature all the time but I never felt that about myself before. So I decided to look through memories of my years where I could respect with awe my braveness. A variety of emotions circled through me as I made my list. Then looking at the end of my list I had a feeling of respect and pride the ways I dealt with those moments. I think this was the first time I honored my own brave. Thank you!
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I love how Tera’s words made me think about my own brave, especially in those times when I thought I was anything but brave. So glad you wrote with us again, Cathy!
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Thank you for this poem! A number of things came up for me. The first was the idea of “brave spaces vs. safe spaces.” We’ve embraced work towards becoming anti-racist educators this year — the work that is in itself the existential reckoning of being American that we’ve wrestled with for so long. As part of that work, we came across the norm of brave spaces — a norm that values discomfort, opening up, complexity, compassion, courage — rather than a retreat into safety that prioritizes comfort.
Here’s one article on the idea: https://www.citybureau.org/notebook/2019/12/19/safe-spaces-brave-spaces-and-why-we-gon-be-alright#:~:text=Today%2C%20safe%20no%20longer%20means,encourages%20mutual%20learning%20and%20accountability.
The other idea that bubbled to the surface was how interconnected we are in our experiences as humans. It’s a truism, but I always seem to get gobsmacked by how universal feelings are. We have all experienced heartbreak and hope, moments where we doubt our significance, times when we’ve seen the stretch marks of growth appear overnight. Today’s poem reminded me how love infuses everything with awe.
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Thank you for writing with us. I am glad these inspiring words created a spark for you.I love the image of “the stretch marks of growth.” I know we all have them, but I know sometimes we don’t always look for them.
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