The Messy Middle

where grace and truth reside

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Cross cultural, Faith

In which I learn about the birds and bees of books

Happy Dragon Boat festival! Seeing as Dragon Boat Festival is on a Wednesday, that means we swapped Monday for Saturday and Sunday for Tuesday in order to have three days off (and the joy of working seven days straight. This is policy was not thought up by someone who teaches junior highers!).

The last few days have been spent sorting, tossing, and packing my worldly possessions and four truths have become self evident:

1. The last six years is the longest period in my adult life to live in one place. Six years does not sound like much to my middle age ears, but it’s a fairly long time in this line of work! I’m both grateful to have been rooted for six years AND sad to pack up.

2. I don’t understand the mechanics of it, but books reproduce more than rabbits. Y’all saw my books and heard my quaking voice! It’s not like I have stacks and stacks of book or books behind books. But as I started to sort out what is left of my library, they started multiplying. E-readers are convenient, they are, but I am still a fan of books I can hold. Books that as I pass off, I say, “This isn’t just a Kathleen Norris book, this is the book I was reading as I bounced through the countryside after a weekend of teaching when I heard about Columbine and knew that Denver, my Denver, was forever changed.” It’s a book and a memory (and she might have a baby, so watch out).

3. If your heart is where your treasure is, it would appear my treasure is kept in notebooks. Seriously, they were squirreled all over my apartment. In this drawer, on that shelf, even in most purses — notebooks, notebooks, everywhere. Treasure in ordinary containers, preferably with lines.

4. As if it weren’t apparent enough that I’m a words person, today I reviewed over fifteen years of correspondence that has made the cut thus far. I’m working to get it down to a reasonable amount (I’m going to leave it vague, wink). I’ve swum in old news and read of Olympics long past, work projects long completed, trips long forgotten, friends who have faced cancer, some with victories here on earth and others in heaven, babies born who are now driving (!). Old news, written in familiar hands. I’m flooded again by how RICH my life is. Valentine cards. Thank you cards, clippings from newspapers, sports updates, the marking of seasons. My parents, my sisters, friends, each niece’s hand traced and later dictations (“Fank you Oh Aunt Amy!”) and then their own precious handwriting. I am a blessed woman.

Truths unearth in an excavated life.

And here is another truth, a bit of levity is good for the soul! Saturday/Tuesday found me at my final official goodbye event. In preparation for the event those of us leaving submitted story prompts. This was one of mine:

Three truths and a lie (you decide):

a)      I’ve been woken up by a mouse running across my face.

b)      I’ve been woken up because the room next to mine was on fire.

c)       I’ve been woken up by a piece of a firecracker coming through my window.

d)      I’ve been woken up by someone borrowing eggs out of my refrigerator.

***********

So, which do you guess? I’ll answer in the comments in a few days. What truths have been made self evident to you this week?

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11 Comments June 12, 2013

About Amy

My name is Amy and I live in the messy middle of life. I have been Redeemed from permanent muck and live with the tension of the Already and Not Yet.

Comments

  1. Morielle says

    June 12, 2013 at 9:35 pm

    Based on my experiences this year in China, both A) and C) seem highly likely to be true. And D) just sounds like such a great story. I’m going to guess B) is the lie.

    Reply
  2. Ashley says

    June 12, 2013 at 10:12 pm

    A. If A happened to you, I might puke a little. I hope it’s A.

    Reply
    • Amy says

      June 13, 2013 at 5:33 am

      Hahahah :) … we’ll wait and see!

      Reply
  3. wanderwithlizzie says

    June 12, 2013 at 10:22 pm

    I’m guessing B!

    Reply
  4. Rhonda says

    June 13, 2013 at 12:56 am

    Going with B.

    Reply
  5. JoDee says

    June 13, 2013 at 4:55 am

    I remember the fire story and the eggs being borrowed seems quite likely…as does the mouse running across your face, though in all the mice stories, I don’t recall that one…so I’m going A… I don’t recall C either, but with all the firecrackers it also seems plausible…staying A. :)

    Reply
    • Amy says

      June 13, 2013 at 5:34 am

      I feel like we are on a game show and listening to your reason your answer. Love it!

      Reply
  6. Nancy Eden says

    June 13, 2013 at 7:00 am

    I think “C” is the lie. They all could happen; I have heard some many interesting stories from Cynthia.

    Reply
  7. Mike says

    June 13, 2013 at 7:34 pm

    I can totally picture any of these happening here, but I’m going with “C” too.

    As for self evident truths, this week it has become even more obvious than ever before that I enter His presence most readily through the medium of music. And while it’s usually P&W, not always!

    Reply
  8. nory says

    June 14, 2013 at 10:43 am

    This is a guess from an instinctive feeling… im going with B too.

    Reply
  9. Mark Allman says

    June 15, 2013 at 3:21 am

    I am going with A. If the you were asleep I do not know how you would know that a mouse woke you unless it was a grandpa mouse and he was really slow. Really slow. B seems to outrages to throw out. I can see C and D happening where you are.

    A

    Reply

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