Writing and reading decrease our sense of isolation. They deepen and widen and expand our sense of life: they feed the soul. ~Ann Lamott~ There are some quotes from books that stay with me. In the book, Bird By Bird; Some Instructions on Writing and Life, by Ann Lamott, she explained where she got the title of her book. When her older brother was 10 years old, he was trying to get a report written that hed had 3 months to write, which was due the next day. He was at the kitchen table close to tears, surrounded by binder paper, pencils, and unopened books about birds, immobilized by the huge task ahead. Her father sat down beside him, put his arm around him, and said, Bird by bird, buddy. Just take it bird by bird. I usually spend a large portion of my time in summer working in my garden. The morning of Averys death, I had cleared some pansies out of 2 long planter boxes, and was stacking stones in front...thoughts of the flowers I would plant running through my mind. Thats what I was doing when Andy called...the phone call that shattered my world. Almost 8 weeks later, the flower boxes remain empty , and my neglected garden has become overgrown. Time has passed...summer almost gone, and somehow, the days have melted into weeks...almost 2 months. Ive lost interest in my garden; however, I knew I must get busy, overwhelmed by the task. I thought of the story of the bird report, and focused on one area at a time. I pruned 4 shrubs, rested a while and pruned 4 more. I dug up a rose bush, cut some overgrown garden phlox, which had grown much taller than me. As I saw each area that was completed, I was no longer daunted by the task. Today, after seeing the results of my work, am encouraged to continue...little by little...bird by bird. I put the garden phlox in a container on the porch, permeating the air with a sweet fragrance, which will evoke a memory of this day...our 47th wedding anniversary. Although these past 2 months have been the saddest time of our 47 years, we can still celebrate because we know we still have so much to celebrate!
Posted on: Tue, 05 Aug 2014 14:12:44 +0000
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