“But a little faith will see you through. What
else will do except faith in such a cynical, corrupt time? When the country
goes temporarily to the dogs, cats must learn to be circumspect, walk on
fences, sleep in trees, and have faith that all this woofing is not the last
word. What is the last word, then? Gentleness is everywhere in daily life, a
sign that faith rules through ordinary things: through cooking and small talk,
through storytelling, making love, fishing, tending animals and sweet corn and
flowers, through sports, music and books, raising kids—all the places where the
gravy soaks in and grace shines through. Even in a time of elephantine vanity
and greed, one never has to look far to see the campfires of gentle people.” ~
Garrison Keillor
If I was told there was a bomb in my building and I had five minutes to evacuate my apartment I’d grab a grocery bag and quickly toss these items into it: 1. A photo of my grandparents, Mom and Pop and me, when I was 15 years old. I learned what love is made of from them. I learned what it is to be kissed on and hugged in arms so tender they felt like God’s arms. I discovered self worth from those two angels in human flesh. Of all the people in my life, they were the ones who made me feel I counted. Honestly, whatever capacity I have to love others came from them. 2. A sentimental, dog-eared, stars in the margin copy of Pat Conroy’s, “The Prince of Tides.” It is a book I have read three times and often return to for its wisdom. It is a harsh, profoundly tragic novel, the story of a family so broken and tortured by such flawed and wounded people that it is sometimes difficult to turn the next page. And yet it is the story of such Herculean courage and endurance that you want...
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