We rise. Like the early morning sun curiously exploring the colors of a new day and carrying hope with each step. We grow. Like the Live Oak rooted deep and suddenly bursting forth with new branches and drenched in fresh green leaves. We play. Like the wind in an open field of wild grasses, or […]
Author: Cristen Writes
Writer. Mystic. Flawed human. I love.
Patience
Love is patient. Somewhere along the way I forgot that part. Maybe I was tired. Tired of waiting. Tired of longing. And in that pivotal moment where I could have chosen to let go even more, instead some tiny part of my heart rebelled. It clung to the idea that these dreams were on a […]
A New Year’s Prayer
For the first time in a while, I can feel the weight lifting off my chest. For the first time in a while I am starting to turn for home. And as I work to find my way back, I can’t help but think about the time lost when I wandered, separated from you. Through […]
Automation
I read something today, something that was beautifully written and seemed to use key words in just the right places so that it seemed right, but it also felt a bit ‘off’. I initially interpreted the off feeling as a trigger, an invitation to explore some wound, some confusion, something within me. So I read […]
Break
Sometimes you have to let this life bring you to your knees, in gratitude, in surrender, in love, in pain. The immensity of our human stories, or the complexity of these social constructs, balanced out by the perfect simplicity of a roadside flower or a morning bird’s song can be so beautiful it almost hurts. […]
Longing
At times it feels like a curse to yearn for things that don’t seem to exist anymore. Things that I can’t quite explain but that it seems must be out there waiting to be found. Things with heart and soul and passion. Things with life and love and watery depths. Things that were born before […]
Strength
One thing I know for sure is that many people get the idea of strength wrong. And courage too. Most people think strength is rigid and hard. Their idea of strength is cold and almost aloof. But I know what I know. That just isn’t the truth. Strength isn’t raised swords and razor teeth. It’s […]
Broken Petals
When a flower loses a petal, it continues to bloom. It doesn’t close in upon itself in fear of losing another. And it doesn’t reach out to take one from its neighbor. When a tree is bent by the wind, it digs down even deeper. A tree continues to grow, and through that struggle it […]
I wonder
I wonder if he knows how often his name still crosses my lips, or how everyone I’ve loved remembers his name and envies whatever magic he must possess. Whatever magic makes the simple memory of him revive something deeper than even the most experienced of divers can’t seem to find. I wonder if he realizes […]
A Pretty Story
This isn’t a pretty story, even if all you see are the fragrant blooms in the revealed chapter. What you don’t see, what happens in the quiet when not another soul is around, is bitter and painful. You don’t see the blood dripping from my hands as I dig against gravel and aged earth to […]
Hold the Line
Hold the line. When the world feels like a sea of quicksand, grabbing at your ankles and trying to pull you down. Be still and wait. Wait for the hope that’s already rising inside. Hold the line. When it seems like everyone is giving in and giving up. Remember the truth, that even these mountains […]
Over and Over Again
So many times over the years I was caught in wonder. I watched in amazement, as I witnessed the simple magic that some people seemed to carry without effort or even awareness. For years, I progressed through various stages of emotional response – first jealousy and fear, then admiration, yearning, seeking. These people inspired me. […]
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