Day 13 :: Everybody is Somebody's Weirdo

I learned a lot from my Granddad Burgess, my Mom’s Dad. His career was in Education, both as a teacher and then a principal, and he is one of the smartest people I’ve ever known. Whether it was a scavenger hunt in the yard, a peanut scramble in his garden, word puzzles at the dinner table, or math games with dessert, he was always providing ways for his grandchildren to learn. He challenged us to memorize one of his favorite poems “If” and when we could recite it to him, we earned $100.

He and my Grandmother both have always been interested in my life, never failing to ask questions about what’s going on, visiting for special life events, and providing a home for me during the holidays when my parents lived overseas. We spent many a morning at the kitchen table over a cup of coffee discussing ALL the issues of life. One time when I was in college I remember my Grandfather asking me if I was a nun. Ha! He had a sense of humor, but he also had a wealth of life experience and I always enjoyed those early morning conversations.

One of the things that he said often in the midst of conversations about relationships has stuck with me over the years:

“Everybody is somebody’s weirdo.”

I love this and what it implies because it pertains to everyone and it is so true.

No two people are the same, physically or internally. This can cause a lot of insecurity in each of us because we long to be understood and accepted.

The other side of that is how easy it can be for us to judge those who are different from us. Whether it’s a hobby that we have no interest in, a way someone dresses, their thought processes, worldview, or just their idiosyncrasies, instead of accepting the differences, we are quick to label them as strange or weird and sometimes we even write them off.

I want my girls to be secure in who they are and to not judge others who are different.

I want my daughters to realize that at some point in their life, maybe even always, someone will consider them weird. And I want them to be okay with that.

And if they can be okay with that, understanding that others will look at them differently, they will have an easier time accepting, and even befriending those who might seem to weird to them.

Everybody is somebody’s weirdo. This means me and you.

We’re all weird.

So, let’s embrace our weirdness and let’s embrace the weirdos we encounter.

Because we’re all made in God’s image and we’re commanded to Love.

“Love one another deeply…” 1 Peter 4:8