Sunday Ponderings

It was another good morning at church. No one handed me money. But I just felt so good being there.

Yesterday morning I went to the book sale and was very well disciplined. I bought for others. The thing that made me smile over and over again was the politeness of people. I remembered the meanness and anger of my visit the week before to Walmart. It was just the opposite at the book sale. Quarters were cramped and people were packed in, all looking for a good deal, but people excused themselves and let you go ahead. We laughed as we tripped over each other and asked to switch places. We laughed at the absurdity of our hunt. It was an amazingly pleasant place to be.

When I was done at the library I went down the street to the Farmers’ Market. I got there right at the end so some folks were packing up and others had even left. People smiled and there was laughter all around. I opened my ears and heard bits and pieces of so many different kinds of conversations. It was like a breath of fresh air.

One of the things that I have treasured this week is the bonding, or re-bonding, that has happened between Asher and I. We’ve played with cars, built with blocks, read books, and blown bubbles. He’s let me rock him to sleep. And today he told me I’m his second best friend. So is Pepa. Mommy is his best friend.

Last night he was building with blocks beside my chair. He looked up at me and announced: I’m doing a great job Mema. Instant tears. I hope he never loses that confidence. I hope he never becomes dependent on the praise of others to validate his sense of worth and ability.

I found a really neat quote that I’m mulling on and writing about at my other blog (www.potofmanna.blogspot.com).

Writing is a process in which we discover what lives in us. The writing itself reveals what is alive. The deepest satisfaction of writing is precisely that it opens up new spaces within us of which we were not aware before we started to write. To write is to embark on a journey whose final destination we do not know. Thus, creative writing requires a real act of trust. We have to say to ourselves, “I do not yet know what I carry in my heart, but I trust that it will emerge as I write.” Writing is like giving away the few loaves and fishes one has, trusting that they will multiply in the giving. Once we dare to “give away” on paper the few thoughts that come to us, we start discovering how much is hidden underneath…and gradually come in touch with our own riches. (Reflections on Theological Education)

That one is going to definitely require some more thought and pondering. TTFN