I have long been a fan of Mary Anne Radmacher. Several of her prints are on my walls- and I have enjoyed many of her calendars. I didn't know that she was a writer - as in a BOOK writer. I knew she created incredible word art - but now she has her first book published and it is wonderful. I usually do not recommend a book until I have finished it - but this one is too good to keep to myself. Also - I find that I read a little bit, and put it down - just to give the words time to resonate within me. So - finishing it might take a while!
The book is entitled, "Lean Forward into your Life." In my short reading yesterday, I read about a man who fought in the Vietnam War - and whose commanding officer used to tell his soldiers to "lean forward in their foxholes". He went on to say that life on the battlefront was never about what was going on in the foxhole, but was about dealing with what was "out there". He then made the analogy that we tend to create foxholes in our lives - thinking we will be safe. We buy the cars with the side airbags, we have the 401k's, we buy life insurance and health insurance...we take our vitamins and go to the gym and build fences and have Homeland Security...BUT, somehow, in someway, life has a way of blindsiding us. There is no such thing as safety, as security - all of us have to learn to deal with what is "out there".
So true. Of course, that doesn't mean that we shouldn't take precautions - but that we shouldn't count on them to keep unexpected things from coming into our foxholes. How do we deal with these surprises? Do we allow ourselves to be overwhelmed? Do we use these events as an excuse to give up - to give in - to become a victim? Do we medicate away our fears, our confusions? Or do we dig deep and find the strength to "lean forward" into the wind of tough times, and make something positive from darkness.
See - a lot to think about. Buy this book - I can't think of a better reading experience to begin this new year.
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