I am imagining getting a van and painting it, like the Mystery Machine on Scooby Doo cartoons and dressing up like Will Ferrell in Elf but with a big name tag that reads, NICE (not ICE) and handing out books written in Spanish and candy canes to scared people who may have brown skin and risk abduction but then realizing, RATS, I have to give candy canes to ICE agents too, because, you know, Jesus.
First, I was so happy to see the title, "HERE WE ARE," in my mailbox from you. Because I wanted to sit next to you. I needed to sit next to you this morning. I needed to laugh, and thought I probably would laugh. You are so reliable for that.
So, I've taken your journey with you, and laughed my ass off, and, as I did so, I felt so human, and so "Known" and that my own messed-upness was totally okay.
And then I loved how you ended, with "So I’ll tell you what the promise of Advent is: It is that God has set up a tent among us and will help us work together on our stuff. And this will only happen over time."
Damn this is beautiful. Thank you. I suspect that God invites someone with diarrhea to an AA meeting for the same reason he invites megalomaniacs into politics, black sheep into families, hecklers into comedy shows, and know-it-alls into classrooms. So that the rest of us can feel sufficiently confronted and insulted until we get the lesson of this lifetime. Everyone is us.
Oh Anne, this is beautiful. I thought of the book about Father Ed who mentored the founder of AA. I thought about our daughter who, for today, maintains her commitment to AA. I thought about Glenn, the angel from AA, who convinced our daughter to try AA in San Francisco. I thought a less than good idea she move there. Yet, she has received the most effective care, treatment and hope. Grace - never leaves you where it finds you I believe you once said. Grace is love and shows up in the most surprising ways. Advent Blessings
One crappy day at a time and soon the days get longer and eventually the sun will warm the earth and for a while at least, things will be good again :). (From an atheist Jew)
Anne Lamott, I love you because you make me feel normal. You convey to me very effectively that somehow, somewhere, everything is going to be ok. All I need to do is take a deep breath and be.
I am laughing and crying all at once. The chaos of the meeting - the worst things, the very things we are afraid of, ALL happening at once. I love this story. Helping someone get cleaned up is hard work. (I just did it a few months ago...) But while I'm doing it (and trying not to puke!) I am busy with someone else than myself. And that is a blessing, among many others. oxox
Love your writing! Btw, There actually is a Jewish equivalent of the advent. leading up to the Jewish high holidays during the Hebrew month of Elul is a very contemplative time of preparing your soul.
I love this so thoroughly. Maybe it is just this minute and then the next. And the next, and treating those we bump into with respect, and have that same respect and care for ourselves. Maybe that’s the purpose of hope. Make it all a little easier to Be.
I am imagining getting a van and painting it, like the Mystery Machine on Scooby Doo cartoons and dressing up like Will Ferrell in Elf but with a big name tag that reads, NICE (not ICE) and handing out books written in Spanish and candy canes to scared people who may have brown skin and risk abduction but then realizing, RATS, I have to give candy canes to ICE agents too, because, you know, Jesus.
Just like little children, we can hate what they do without hating them
First, I was so happy to see the title, "HERE WE ARE," in my mailbox from you. Because I wanted to sit next to you. I needed to sit next to you this morning. I needed to laugh, and thought I probably would laugh. You are so reliable for that.
So, I've taken your journey with you, and laughed my ass off, and, as I did so, I felt so human, and so "Known" and that my own messed-upness was totally okay.
And then I loved how you ended, with "So I’ll tell you what the promise of Advent is: It is that God has set up a tent among us and will help us work together on our stuff. And this will only happen over time."
Damn this is beautiful. Thank you. I suspect that God invites someone with diarrhea to an AA meeting for the same reason he invites megalomaniacs into politics, black sheep into families, hecklers into comedy shows, and know-it-alls into classrooms. So that the rest of us can feel sufficiently confronted and insulted until we get the lesson of this lifetime. Everyone is us.
Oh Yes Rick! Exactly.
Oh Anne, this is beautiful. I thought of the book about Father Ed who mentored the founder of AA. I thought about our daughter who, for today, maintains her commitment to AA. I thought about Glenn, the angel from AA, who convinced our daughter to try AA in San Francisco. I thought a less than good idea she move there. Yet, she has received the most effective care, treatment and hope. Grace - never leaves you where it finds you I believe you once said. Grace is love and shows up in the most surprising ways. Advent Blessings
I love stories about people doing what Jesus would do. Thank you.
One crappy day at a time and soon the days get longer and eventually the sun will warm the earth and for a while at least, things will be good again :). (From an atheist Jew)
Anne Lamott, I love you because you make me feel normal. You convey to me very effectively that somehow, somewhere, everything is going to be ok. All I need to do is take a deep breath and be.
Exactly what I needed to hear today. Thanks for hanging out with us broken ones.
WOW. I hereby tender my resignation from the reserve army of the sanctimonious. Many thanks.
OMG, would you be my sponsor???? ♥️
So beautiful! (and funny.) It's a miracle when a piece makes me laugh out loud and cry. Thank you. 🙏🏼
I am laughing and crying all at once. The chaos of the meeting - the worst things, the very things we are afraid of, ALL happening at once. I love this story. Helping someone get cleaned up is hard work. (I just did it a few months ago...) But while I'm doing it (and trying not to puke!) I am busy with someone else than myself. And that is a blessing, among many others. oxox
Love your writing! Btw, There actually is a Jewish equivalent of the advent. leading up to the Jewish high holidays during the Hebrew month of Elul is a very contemplative time of preparing your soul.
Father Tom’s story is filled with kindness, humanity, laughter and shit. Life!
I love this so thoroughly. Maybe it is just this minute and then the next. And the next, and treating those we bump into with respect, and have that same respect and care for ourselves. Maybe that’s the purpose of hope. Make it all a little easier to Be.
I love this so much. From one Crabby Miss to another.