To those who would call me strange, I say that I would rather be your kind of strange than mine because, to me, strange is denying the truth of our nature.
To me, strange is ignoring the pull of the moon’s tides in our veins simply because we can’t yet measure its influence.
Strange is pretending that our bones aren’t made of the same dust that’s beneath our feet, or that our bodies aren’t filled with the same water that crashes in waves on the shores.
To me, strange would be to deny kinship with the animals, even though we’re born of the same union between the earth and the sky.
What I consider strange is clinging to one identity, like a summer that refuses to concede to the coming autumn. And stranger still is to reject our responsibility to one another, like a maple tree denying the birds and squirrels a home in its branches.
To those who would call me improper, I say that I would rather be your kind of improper than mine because, to me, improper is the desecration of our mother earth.
To me, improper is interrupting the natural flow of water through her veins.
Improper is poisoning her breath with pesticides while tearing down her lungs with tractors.
To me, improper is raping the land and forcing her to give birth out of season, while wondering why she seems to fight us every step of the way.
What I consider improper is the way we’ve drawn imaginary lines across her body for so long that we think they’re real and, even worse, that they will somehow prevent the cancer from spreading.
Improper is that no one seems to mourn a freshly stripped forest, as if its roots weren’t also our own; and pretending that what’s done to it isn’t also done to us all.
To those who would call me weird, I say that I would rather be your kind of weird than mine because, to me, weird is choosing an imitation over the real thing.
To me, weird is covering my feet with dead leather instead of walking barefoot on the living earth and feeling her heart beating beneath me.
Weird is covering ourselves with chemicals to protect our bare skin from the same sun that helped to create it.
To me, weird is needing entertainment when every evening a great invisible artist comes out to paint one stroke of color at a time across the entire sky until the day’s blue transitions into midnight’s black.
What I find weird is the way that we’re taught to fear the wild, as if we are not wild ourselves.
Weird is how we’re supposed to trust what comes from a factory but not what came before that factory existed. Even weirder is the way that we eat food from a bag while we bulldoze the forest, or we hide from the rain and then go home to take a shower.
To those who would call me naive, I say I would rather be your kind of naive than mine because, to me, naive is believing that the creator is separate from her creation.
Naïve is believing that the Painter feels no pain when you spoil her canvas. It’s pretending that the Great Writer’s soul doesn’t live in the poems she carves out in the rivers and the songs that she sings on the wind.
To me, naïve is calling for God’s help as we slay sparks of her soul that live in the fields and the forests, in the corals, the coasts and the clouds; and more naïve still is to convince ourselves that those sparks were never there.
What I consider naïve is the assumption that we can kill pieces of a body without its consciousness slowly dying.
Naïve is expecting that we can hollow out the ground beneath our feet and somehow remain standing.
To me, naive is incessantly talking to God rather than shutting up long enough to hear to what she’s been trying to tell us all along.
To those who would call me strange, I say that I would rather be your kind of strange than mine because, to me, strange is listening to the weather but not hearing the wind. It’s living under the sun but never seeing the light. Strange is drinking earth’s water but never swallowing the truth.
To those who would call me strange, I say let them call me strange; this is a title I will happily accept, because in a world that lives in denial, the truth will sound false. I accept it because in a society of conformists, authenticity will seem rebellious and because when it’s built on dualism, oneness will be frightening.
I say let them call me strange, because if it’s strange to live as my mother intends rather than according to what my brothers and sisters pretend, then I would rather be their kind of strange than mine.
©2016 Cristen Rodgers
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I am in awe. This is one of the most stunningly beautiful things I have ever read.
Thank you Cristen.
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I am so very happy to hear that, especially from someone such as yourself! Thank you and of course brightest blessings to you and yours!
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Cristen, I stumbled upon your writing today because someone sent me a quote from your work. I can’t stop reading every word you’ve written. Some of it is my journey, but you’ve expressed it as if you’ve traveled that path with me. …..thank you.
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Oh thank you for sharing! Indeed in many ways many of us do share a path. As Rumi once wrote, “were just walking each other home”. ❤️
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Your kind of strange seems very close to my kind of strange – glad to have found a kindred soul. And you’re certainly not weird, improper, or naive – you’re truthful, and that’s what they can’t understand.
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Thank you so much for the support and I’m glad we found each other! Many blessings of love and light to you and yours!
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I’m am delighted to know that there is someone else out there who is as strange as me according to other’s standards. This was a fantastic post. I’m going to share it with some of my strange like minded friends. They’ll love it too.
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And I’m delighted to see so many people who share the sentiments! I’m honored by your attention, Connie and I hope your day is beautiful and bright!
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Stunning piece! I feel humbled by your words and insight. Thank you!
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I’m so glad you liked it! Namaste, beautiful!
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Beautiful musings on life and living more in tune with our spirit and nature…
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Om Shanti 🏽🙏🏽
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Beautiful! Thank you Love!
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Blessed be, Don!
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You get my prize for the best post I have read. Stunning!
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I’m honored, Barry! Thank you and many blessings!
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I really really enjoyed this, add my name to the strange chorus above! 😉
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Namaste 🙏💛✌️
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Please do a voice over video. Hah it would be so good.
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This is what I hear, whispered, whenever I am on the trail. I, too, am that kind of strange. Praised be the Oneness!
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Praised be. We are all one. Thank you and many blessings to you and yours 😊❤️✌️
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Preach!!
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Very good to be strange and different. A amazing poem.
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Thank you, John! Brightest blessings 🙂
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You are welcome. I enjoyed this one.
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Reblogged this on johncoyote and commented:
Please read and enjoy the work of a talented writer.
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This is inspiring, thanks for sharing.
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I’m gladyou enjoyed it, Norma! Namaste
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Wonderful! Reblogged with much gratitude and a deep bow at https://astrobuss.wordpress.com/ . Thank you!
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Namaste ❤
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Wow! astrologer Jim Buss sent out a link to your ‘strange’ and im an instant fan!
beautiful!
thank YOU! xx
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Humble thanks and brightest blessings, Debbie! 🙂
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Reblogged this on spaceship china and commented:
Earth .. our Mother…. please enjoy this beautiful post from Cristen Rodgers that I stumbled on today…..
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This is one of the most beautiful pieces I have ever read about our Mother, and our connection (or lack thereof) to Her. Thank you. It’s like you spoke from my own heart. You have touched many hearts here.
Peace
Mary
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Thank you, Mary! I am sincerely grateful to see so many people who share the ‘sight’. Blessings to you and yours ❤
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It’s written like a poem.
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Reblogged this on againstmodernconsciousness and commented:
To living an authentic life for achieving greater internal happiness and tranquility.
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Beautiful.
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Thank you, Laurie! Blessings to you, beautiful! ❤
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♡
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When strange is good 🙂
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I have no words to describe my gratitude for you to share this … I am deeply touched by your words… You have a magic with you…magic of words and you do use it very nicely 🙂
Loved it!
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Oh I’m so glad to hear that it touched you! Thank you for commenting and I’m sending you love and light ✨💕✨
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Loads of Prayers nd Love for u
🙏
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Also, if you dont mind can I share this with your name and blog address on my feed?
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I would be honored 😊 Thank you 🙏
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Reblogged this on Xploring Life Within and commented:
I am totally mesmerized by these phrases. Absolutely divine.
I thank the author, Cristen Rodgers for sharing such wonderful thoughts.
Do check her page at https://cristenrodgers.net/ ….trust me you will fall in love with words 🙂
Thank you,
Love,
Hira
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Reblogged this on hocuspocus13 and commented:
jinxx♠xoxo
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Reblogged this on Laura Bruno's Blog and commented:
Oh, yes! Truly inspired …
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Reblogged this on Reiki Dawn and commented:
I first saw this rebligged on Laura Bruno’s blog.
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Just seeing this…a wonderful post! Very profound…an excellent read 🙂
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You are pure magic. ❤
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Hi admin ! I read your page everyday and i must say you have very interesting articles here.
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You write so beautifully x Your words are truly inspired from a loving energy x
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Thank you for the support, Denise! May your day be filled with love, light, and lots of laughter! Namaste
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♡♡ So Beautiful. .
I really am touched.. relieving to know I’m not alone. Thank you ♡
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My pleasure, Hila. Blessed be 😊💕✌️️
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A message from the wilderness, and a moving one at that.
Thank you for sharing that love, that truth you have dared to step into ❤
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It’s my pleasure always! I’m glad you enjoyed it 😊 Have a happy day!
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Reblogged this on Healing Your Heart! and commented:
I too would deny the ‘strange’ of this world…only then will our world become clear.
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I have often been called weird too Cristen.. But then if we were all the same.. the world would be a boring place.. 🙂 And if that makes me strange… lol.. I would sooner stay weird and strange.. Because we know who we are.. 🙂
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Yes we do! Here’s to all of the weirdos out there! Blessed be ❤
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:-D.. 🙂 ❤
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Awesome.
Wonderful, moving words, Cristen.
Namaste ❤
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what a beautiful and beautifully written post. I love your commitment to live your truth unabashedly and unapologetically. You are an inspiration, reminding us to listen to our hearts and love who we are as we are, regardless of whether or not we fit into what is perceived as conventional norms. I personally want nothing less than to confine myself to what others deem as ‘normal’. That just sounds terribly mundane and void of anything close to magic. 🙂
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