in the face of this

One of my favorite authors is Anne Lamott. She writes about life and faith with such a great mix of truth-telling and hilarity. And, besides, she writes really well. I dream of being able to write like her. In the meantime, I'll keep enjoying her words. Last year we sent Anne a Christian Seasons Calendar. A few weeks later we got a post card in the mail from her saying: "I love my calendar and have it up on the wall where everyone can see it - Thanks so much." It felt great to make that connection. Here is a sample of Anne's writing from her book "Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life": "In general, though, there's no point in writing hopeless novels. We all know we're going to die; what's important is the kind of men and women we are in the face of this.

Sometimes people turn out to be not all that funny or articulate, but they can still be great friends or narrators if they possess a certain clarity of vision - especially if they have survived or are in the process of surviving a great deal. This is inherently interesting material, since this is the task before all of us: sometimes we have to have one hand on this rock here, one hand on that one, and each big toe seeking out firm if temporary footing, and while we're scaling that rock face, there's no time for bubbles, champagne, and a witty aside. You don't mind that people in this situation are not being charming. You are glad to see them doing something you will need to do down the line, and with dignity. The challenge and the dignity make it interesting enough." (p. 51)