Stitches by Anne Lamott

Stitches by Anne Lamott

I recently had my hip replaced and took this book with me to the hospital.  I thought that by the title alone, it would be just the spiritual medicine I would need to get me back on track.  Little did I know however, that I had no physical stitches in my incision.  The surgeon glued me back together.  Modern medicine is quite amazing.  

What I learned from this book is that even though I didn't get stitched back together, many stitches have been made in the quilt that is me from this experience.  We are made up of stitches, each one carefully sewn for every step we take in life.  

There are many passages here that I wanted to highlight and remember forever.  The one however, that stuck with me is, "The American way is to not need help, but to help."  Right now I need help to do a lot of things and I hate asking for it.  I'm using a walker just to get around.  Managing it and me is a full time effort.  I can't even get a drink from the refrigerator with out asking for it.  It is a humbling experience and a lesson I needed to learn.  And a stitch my quilt needed in order to grow.  

I love Anne Lamott.  She's funny and has a unique way of writing about the journey of life.  I have to admit I liked Help, Thanks, Wow a bit better than Stitches.  This book was exactly what I needed during my road to recovery.  It's amazing to me how books have a way of working their way to the top of the reading pile at just the right time.  

Help. Thanks. Wow by Anne Lamotte

Help. Thanks. Wow. by Anne Lamotte

I love Anne Lamotte.  My friend, April got me hooked on Bird By Bird.  Another friend, Audrey told me about Help. Thanks. Wow.  When she told it was written by Anne Lamotte, I rushed out for a copy.  Anne is so funny and more importantly, so real.  I now know Anne Lamotte is in my circle of friends even though we've never met. This book is subtitled The Three Essential Prayers.  Little did I know I'd been praying these prayers all along. 

Help.  We ask God for help all the time.  Anne says she asks God to help her not be such an ass.  I've prayed that prayer more than once in my life.  More than once in a day, in an hour even at times.  When saying the Lord's Prayer, God's name is Howard.  You know the line, Howard be thy name.  it's odd how things stick in your head.  As a child learning this prayer in Sunday school, I had not a clue what the work "hallowed" meant.  In my effort to even pronounce the word, it stuck in my head as "Hallow Wed".  Well into my adulthood, I never made the correction to my pronunciation.  It didn't really matter anyway, because I was raised Presbyterian.  We say forgive us our debts not forgive us our trespasses, so I never said the prayer out loud.

Thanks.  When the car zooms past us in the intersection narrowly averting disaster, we take a deep breath and say "Thank you, God for saving me".  He hears us and gives us more time to do our good here on earth.  People come into our lives for a reason.  Some for a minute, some for years and even when we may not want them.  But we need to give thanks for the lesson, the protection, the love, the guidance they are offering us.

Wow.  Anne talks about wow and awe.  They are two little words, same number of letters, same height, same impact.  We need to go outside and say "Wow!" when we watch the sunrise of soft pinks and oranges, hear birds sweetly singing, or make a wish upon a glittering star.  These are God's creations.  Let's never take for granted the wonder of them.  Say "Wow!" God hears you.

Anne Lamotte will make you laugh and bring a tear to your eye.  She will also walk you a little bit further on your own spiritual path, with three simple words.  Help.  Thanks. Wow!  

Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott

To all my fellow wanna be writers.  Listen up.  You need to read this book.

At one time a few years ago when I was feeling especially down in the dumps about my writing career, my dear friend April suggested this book.  April does not happen to be a writer so I couldn't even begin to guess how this book appeared on her own personal radar screen.  I bought it and it sat on the shelf waiting for the perfect time to enter my life. 

Anne Lamott is funny, witty and boy, can she put the writing life into perspective!  And in a way I can understand.  She relates the trials and tribulations of being a writer to ordinary life.  She talks about her son and how to dig deep into your soul to capture the innocence of a child.  She wrote about the death of her father and how some people thought there was too much joy and laughter in her writing about that time in her life.  She wrote about her students and how young writers all believe publishing will lead them to a life of fame and fortune.   

Anne Lamott hit the nail on the head for me over and over and over again.  I know I'm not alone in my struggle to publish.  In her own silly and sarcastic voice she lays out a wonderful plan for a writing life.  I feel more energetic and on track than I have in ages, because Anne made me laugh and cry and feel life deep down in my soul.  Bird By Bird is a fun and entertaining read. 

I rate this book 5 out of 5 and it's staying on the shelf.  While reading it I often felt the need to highlight some of it.  Highlighting seriously goes against the grain of my rules on how to treat a book.  Just like bending page corners.  But Bird By Bird is going to be a wonderful reference book for me so I just might break down and put removable tabs on the important pages.