It’s Okay to Be Both
“It’s Okay To Be Both” by Cristen Rodgers is one of those poems I return to often, each time discovering a new favorite line. Words are an integral part of my daily life, as a writer, a reader, and a woman in recovery who has reconnected with her truth and reclaimed the power of her voice. The words in this poem expand my mind and soften my heart. They straighten my spine and curve my lips. They remind me to be compassionate with myself and others as we embark on this beautiful, unpredictable and often-messy adventure called life.
IT'S OKAY TO BE BOTH
So often in recovery, we fall into the trap of comparing our journey to someone else’s.
We think we should be further along in some way than we are.
We are surprised when a bad day knocks us off-kilter, or we are disappointed to find ourselves reverting back to old, familiar unhealthy patterns. But the truth is that nothing good comes from comparison, judgment or negative self-talk. No one has ever berated themselves into a better version of themselves. On the contrary, these were the very things that kept in me trapped in the cycle of addiction. Each day, as a sober warrior, I make a pledge to not drink. And from that steady stance, all else in my life becomes possible. I find connection and compassion, perspective and grace. NOMADIC | 24
JENNIFER BRIDGMAN
And I remember again that it really is okay.
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