"Bird By Bird Some Instructions on Writing and Life" by Anne Lamott

I’m getting married tomorrow. I buried my dad two weeks ago. I’m coordinating a three-day grief camp for kids ages 6-17 who have lost a parent next weekend in the Sonoma Redwoods. My dad would call this plot “bad writing.” He would order a re-write and say, “lighten it up. Too sad.” What should I do, cry? I did that. Drink lots of Chardonnay? I do that, too. Throw a pity party and invite myself? Done. We can’t re-write our stories. We just have to get through them. When I was going through the darkest days of my divorce my dad gave me a little pewter door that said on it, “If you’re going through hell, keep going,” by Winston Churchill. And I did keep going. I found an apartment, I bought new sheets and I marched right into a bank and opened a new bank account for the first time in nearly 20 years. Anne Lamott’s book “Bird By Bird” looks at first glance to be a book about writing, but it is more than that: It is a book about how life throws you curves all the time. The point is how you manage it without going crazy. In this book she tells the story about how her 10-year-old brother had three months to write a book report on birds, but waited until the night before it was due to start it. Surrounded by bird books at the family kitchen table, the boy was overwhelmed with fear. His dad sat down next to him and said, “Bird by bird, buddy. Just take it bird by bird.” This phrase brings me great comfort now as I face the years ahead without my dad. To celebrate tomorrow and marry the man I hope to spend the next 30 years with brings me nothing but joy and happiness.  I don’t want people to feel sorry for me. I want people to feel like I’m the luckiest girl because I am. A great dad. A meaningful job. And now a wonderful husband.  I’m through the door. To buy this book on Amazon please click here.