Traveling Mercies

So along with my recent "feed people" signs I've also run across Anne Lamott's name enough in the last two months I sat down and read one of her books this month. " Traveling Mercies: Some Thoughts on Faith".  My son the other day said "Mom you are almost done with that book, what's it about?"  I was caught off guard- I didn't know how to answer. Do I tell him it is about a lady who has  rough teenage years (no really lots of sex, drinks, drugs) and young adult years (and continuation of many of the same activities she did as teen, but finally realizes she is an alcoholic and drug addict)  and then found God- now all my non-Christian/atheist friends please don't run away from this post- this author- Anne Lamott she's really good. She gets religion in the way I think it was meant to represent, plus she is just so witty and smart in her words. 

 

So I kept on hearing the name Anne Lamott. I heard it on my running podcast I listen to-one of the runners/writers was talking about how she loved Anne's prayers ( noted below). Then I ran into her in the reading of my favorite part of the New York Times-Book section on Sundays. And then even at my local library a new nonfiction book about her son, Sam,  having a son. So again I took it as a sign I was suppose to read something by her. I'm not a huge "baby person " so I wasn't too interested in reading that one so I went to the nonfiction area and found this one. It was a perfect pick for my first introduction to Anne Lamott. I loved the way she wrote about her life and her religion in a way that didn't make me cringe. Don't get me wrong I don't have a problem with God and I enjoy going to church but there are very few people who have the ability to talk about God or religion in an everyday manor without making me uneasy. Anne accomplishes that because she keeps it real and she is h invest, open, and non-judgemental. Here are quotes I just loved from my first introduction to Anne Lamott! 

Pg 82 " Here are the two best prayers I know ' help me, help me, help me' and ' thank you, thank you, thank you".
I say  AMEN to that sentence!

Pg 93 " It's so awful attacking your child. It is the worst thing I know, to shout loudly at this fifty pound being with his huge brown eyes. It's like bitch slapping E.T."  O.k. side note- I love the movie E.T. and I was so touched by this movie when I saw it in 2nd grade that I remember crying for an hour after the movie had ended- I know E.T. lives, but I was just so touched by his relationship with Elliott.

Sorry couldn't read my scribble/notes but this one is from the Why I make Sam Go To Church chapter "I make him because I can. I outweigh him by nearly 75 lbs. But that is only part of it. The main reason is that I want to give him what I found in the world. Which is to see a path and a light to see by".

Page 215 "Everything is usually so masked or perfumed or disguised in the world and it's so touching when you get to see something real and human. I think that's why most of us stay close to our families, no matter how neurotic the members, how deeply annoying or dull- because when people have seen you at your worst, you don't have to out on the mask as much."

Page 241 "and then I remember this basic religious principle that God isn't there to take away our suffering or our pain but to fill it with his or her presence".

Page 264 "This is the most spiritual truth I know: that even when we're most sure that love can't conquer all, it seems to anyway."

Again she's not a holy roller she lives a real life with hard ache and hard times but does alright. I will definitely read some of her others.