For years now, I have loved this quote from Anne Lamott:
I decided that the single most subversive, revolutionary thing I could do was to show up for my life and not be ashamed.
I hear you. Tomorrow is Christmas Eve. You probably learned, as I did, that this is a time for tradition. For the way we’ve always done it. Not so much for subversion.
This year, more than ever, perhaps, I’m with Anne Lamott.
Which is not to say that I’m not deeply missing my kids and my girls and all those who are, and have been, dear to me. And butter cookies. The pressed kind.
I put up a spiral-y little metal tree on a table where Luther won’t run into it and am dry brining a local, pasture raised, heritage breed turkey. Bill loves turkey.
And I am living my life.
Intentional Creativity sessions with old friends and new, filled with actual hope and change.
Experimenting with a commissioned painting known as Mamaw’s Farm which is all about love and learning new things.
Food for neighbors who can’t be “home for the holidays.”
And prayer dots.
An interesting thing happened with the peace painting I’ve been working on. I watched the news.
And so, along with dots for Peace, dots for Wisdom have begun to appear.
And a few more words from an early Christmas gift, Anne Lamott’s new Almost Everything… notes on hope:
So why have some of us felt like jumping off tall buildings ever since we can remember, even those of us who do not struggle with clinical depression? Why have we repeatedly imagined turning the wheels of our cars into oncoming trucks? We just do. To me, this is very natural. It is hard here. There is the absolute hopelessness we face that everyone we love will die, even our newborn granddaughter, even as we trust and know that love will give rise to growth, miracles, and resurrection. Love and goodness and the world’s beauty and humanity are the reasons we have hope. Yet no matter how much we recycle, believe in our Priuses, and abide by our local laws, we see that our beauty is being destroyed, crushed by greed and cruel stupidity. And we also see love and tender hearts carry the day. Fear, against all odds, leads to community, to bravery and right action, and these give us hope. I wake up not knowing if our leader has bombed North Korea. And still, this past year has been just about the happiest of my life. So, yeah: it can all be a bit confusing.
Still, the light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it (John 1:5).
And the cover of Annie’s book is sprinkled with swirls of shiny prayer dots, whether she planned that or not.
Sometimes it takes more waiting than we’d hoped. And yet, if we act from the light of love, odds are, it will happen a little sooner.
Whatever your traditions or beliefs, may the light of this season surround you and those you love. And may you contemplate the notion that subversive might just be a good thing. Blessings,
Sue and Sarah, Phoebe, and Luther