Just finished ...

A childhood classic that was a favorite of mine in both the book and movie format. I hadn't read Charlotte's Web in at least 15 years but I thought I'd revisit it when I serendipitously happened upon it in a used bookstore the other day. The timeless tale of friendship and self-sacrifice moved me as it had so many years before. Themes I didn't remember: respecting animals and growing up. The tender illustrations paired with the lively descriptions were a riveting combination. Tip of the hat to author E.B. White and illustrator Garth Williams.

Unexpectedly, I read the book more as a writer this time and less as a reader. I still was completely absorbed by the descriptions and the characters, but I viewed it from the lens of an aspiring children's book author. What I learned was that when a book comes from an authentic place, the author can draw in any type of reader. Reading about the rhythms and tasks of farm life is a topic that I am unlikely to feel connected to, having grown up in urban landscape my whole life. And yet, I felt fully present with Fern and her "best friends," the animals, and was drawn in by the narrator's knowledge. Ultimately, the book reminded me that no matter what our life experiences are or how simple an idea we have, the right combination of skill and heart can produce a poignant classic.

A thought to live by ...

What would you do if you knew you could not fail?

Unexpected impact

One of man's most costly mistakes is doubting that he has immediate impact on the web of people surrounding him and, by consequence, the web of people extending beyond his immediate circle.

If humanity realized that each decision taken permanently alters the social fabric, there might be more thought put into those choices. Their significance might increase in the decider's eyes and the incentive to do the right thing might rise a notch, although I suspect that a substantial bit of society wouldn't want to surrender their romantic notion of "just-this-once" that frees them to make whimsical, reckless decisions.

But take George Bailey's life, for instance. Here is a big dreamer who fantasized about shaping his world in a large-scale, visible way (skyscrapers, airports, etc.) and to experience the exotic. He never got the latter nor did he leave a footprint in the ways he intended, but he did undoubtedly shape his world in a tangible way.

Just by doing his best to make the right choices each day, by settling to work in "ordinary" circumstances, he did extraordinary things. By living each day with integrity, he empowered others to live with dignity.

December 24, 2009

Top lessons from 2009

(1) Making the right choice isn't usually the comfortable one immediately, but it does pave the way for long-term contentment.

(2) Whenever you think you're exhausted, there are always a few more drops in the energy well to drink and a few more steps you can squeeze out of yourself.

(3) Listen to family and friends. They know you and care for your ultimate happiness; and they have insights that you usually lack from being in the thick of situations.

(4) Wisdom is often the whisper you can't hear until you turn off the loudest voices in your ear.

(5) There is life after heartbreak -- and not just life, but abundant life! :)

(6) We can learn things we never would have been able to about ourselves by welcoming into our home a needy animal who's looking to love and be loved.

(7) Sleep is the most underestimated tactic for preventing and curing illness.

(8) It is in setting boundaries that we actually find freedom.

(9) Even after nine years of living on my own, there's still no place like home.

(10) Desiderata. 'Nuff said.

(11) Be willing to reconsider attitudes and values that have (consciously and unconsciously) shaped you to this point.

(12) It is so important to know and defend your worth in every moment it may be questioned. Do not stay silent.

(13) Life is short. Speak up. Fight for justice. Believe in your dreams. Chase them into reality. Pave a path for others to follow.

(14) Live as if everything could change next breath. It's much harder to take it all for granted.