We rightly appreciate great writing. The value of authors that can teach a distilled concept or weave a magical world is congratulated and remunerated. But what about the value of readers? How might we equally honor the student (or adult) who seeks out varied and worthy writing, courageously struggles to understand its import and beauty,Continue reading “The Professional Reader”
Category Archives: Attentiveness
Presupposing Goodness
St. Ignatius describes a “presupposition” that should guide the relationship between spiritual director and directee as follows: That both the giver and the maker of the Spiritual Exercises may be of greater help and benefit to each other, it should be presupposed that every good Christian ought to be more eager to put a goodContinue reading “Presupposing Goodness”
The Three Gates
Our sons’ teacher gives her class the following conceptual hook to think about how they speak to their classmates. She asks them, before they address another, to pass the words they are considering through the following “three gates.” Is it true? Is it necessary? Is it kind? (And kind is not always “nice”… these youngContinue reading “The Three Gates”
“If it is not my truth…”
“… then it is a lie.” Living out of this mentality makes us fragile and reactionary. The ability to consider the truth of another’s experience, even momentarily and provisionally, is fundamental to an empathic life in community. This is not a permissive acceptance of everything thought or felt. (So not: “Everything is true everywhere!”) ItContinue reading ““If it is not my truth…””
But an Instant
Today, a wonderful line from one of Mark Twain’s personal letters: “There isn’t time — so brief is life — for bickerings, apologies, heartburnings, callings to account. There is only time for loving — and but an instant, so to speak, for that.”
In Time / Out of Time
It is possible to live “out of time.” That is, to cling to a moment, season, or epoch and “how things were then” and “how we thought or spoke back then.” We need not even have experienced this period of time, but have only learned about it. Put another way, it is possible to experienceContinue reading “In Time / Out of Time”
What Is Here That I Have Never Noticed Before?
As I consider: A loved one, as they grow A well-loved Scripture passage That one tree The wonder of our bodies Our attention is necessarily filtered, often to the detriment of our lives. So: What is here that I have never noticed before? (And do I allow myself to slow down enough to hear theContinue reading “What Is Here That I Have Never Noticed Before?”
Reading Buddies
At school, our six-year-old has a reading buddy. Last week, I got to see them in action. Aside from being outrageously cute, this relationship serves multiple purposes. Primarily, our son’s reading buddy offers near instant feedback on decoding and comprehension. For an adult, a worthy way to assess the value of our past education isContinue reading “Reading Buddies”
Characters and Compassion
Like a totally normal person (😉), I’ve been thinking lately about one of the essay questions on an English exam my senior year of high school. The internet helped me find the exact wording. Here it is: Discuss the notion of morally ambiguous characters—those whose behavior doesn’t allow readers to categorize them as purely goodContinue reading “Characters and Compassion”
Tracks in the Wrong Direction
Near the end of one of Wendell Berry’s finest poems comes the advice to “…Be like the fox / who makes more tracks than necessary, / some in the wrong direction.” The status quo may expect us to seek to maximize our waking hours for pleasure and profit, to always think and speak like ourContinue reading “Tracks in the Wrong Direction”
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