what is BRAVE?

The other day, a woman complimented my bright, shiny blue nail polish. "You're so brave to wear that," she said.

"My mother hates it."

"Well," she replied, "she's wrong."

I never considered wearing bright nail polish, or my odd layered fashion, or any of that BRAVE. It begs a re-evaluation of the question What is Brave? And how are we brave?

That same day, a little girl came to get some hot chocolate with her mother. She spoke very little and seemed shy. Her mother said, "She's painfully shy." I tried to be as nice as I could, and told her about how my best friend was shy when we were little, and I'm NOT, and I'd ask for cookies or anything for her. I consider that little girl BRAVE for coming up and ordering for herself.

How are YOU BRAVE?