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Amanda Fox Gibbons

River Wisdom

Yesterday, I woke up with an inkling that I needed to visit my favorite place around here, the East Rosebud River. There is something about the way the water moves down and out of the mountains, quenching my wanderlust thirst and icy cold on my toes. A backdrop of majestic white peaks line the horizon, standing tall as guardians of the bountiful wilderness beyond. This view never ceases to amaze me and is reminiscent of what I'd imagine to see in Switzerland. I usually stand here for a while, lost in time and completely mesmerized.

Can you feel it, too?


As I approached the small flat grassy spot next to the water and set down my bag, I was immediately greeted by the voice of the river. She said to me "You can stop pretending now. You can stop pretending to fit in. It is safe to be who you really are, beautiful human child. There is room for you."


I smiled and sat down on my blanket. This message goes along with what I have been thinking about lately and echoes what I have been hearing from different voices in my life. A wise new connection had just spoken to me earlier in the day about the beauty of making room to be safe within your own being. You don’t have to present this to the world yet, but there’s a monumental shift happening within you. You are safe to be you.


The sun felt just right on the 62 degree blue sky spring day. This might seem too chilly to some, but to me it was perfect bikini weather. I guess Montana has worn off on me and anything over 45 degrees warrants the emergence of my summertime clothes.


Mama Canada goose wasn't particularly pleased by my arrival and honked incessantly for a few minutes. I told her I wouldn’t search for her nest, that her secret was safe with me. I said I am only here to soak up the sun and be in the presence of something magical. After awhile, she seemed relieved by my presence and all but vanished, probably off for some well deserved "me time."

A little later, the neighbors came outside to work in their yard and the sound of the river was joined by the melody of human music as Jack Johnson‘s familiar tune Banana Pancakes floated across the water.

You can stop pretending to fit in. It’s actually better if you stop. Better for your own mental health, your own self expression, and your own freedom. It’s also better for humankind. Let them see your true self shining for it also gives others permission to be themselves. While we might not have the answers, do not hide in the darkness of fear any longer. Remaining hidden used to provide a feeling of safety but is now only crushing your spirit. It is time to feel safe and to be authentic. The ability to set yourself free resides within your own heart. Our semi-retired bus driver said to me this week: life is over before you know it.

So if you really do blink and it’s over, what’s there to be afraid of? Why hide? Who’s watching? Any critics can take a hike, for this world needs your unique story to be added to the collective voice. What if the only voices to be heard were those that are considered "acceptable"? How different would that song sound? Fairly bland and boring, in my opinion.


We all have beautiful gifts and wisdom to share. Let us make room for the eccentric, the undefinable, the mysterious outliers. Those who see beyond the material world. Those who answer the call when the river whispers its secrets to them. Those who have the ability to hear what is unspoken in human language, but is as real as anything else. The wordless wisdom of the Universe comes through to me as a deep knowing. A download of sorts. A vision of possibilities. A sound found in nature that evokes more understanding than anything conceived by reading a book or holding a conversation.

Do you learn this way, too?


Let us make room to be ourselves. I am creating a safe place within my own heart for this old soul who has agreed to be here. One where there is no judgment. Where there is room for the unseen magic that is available to us all.





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