I do know of the book, but I haven’t read it. I am not a fan of her blog, so I have stayed away. I just tend to feel like she has pretty words that don’t say much. But I am such a straightforward person. Maybe it’s just a style thing. Let me know what you think when you are done, okay?

I totally agree that we need so many people to help on this journey.

But in so many other ways, I feel I knew more then than I do now. I’m sure I didn’t. But rules were black and white. I may not have known who I was, but I THOUGHT I knew who I was. I miss 16-year old me, in some ways.

But then I agree with Annie too. I don’t feel completely like 16-year old me is anywhere but confusedly inside the me that has a driver’s license that CLAIMS a much different age.

P.S. – As a complete side-note, I doubt I could ever tell you about a book you didn’t know about, but if there was ever a time for me beating your yearly reading totals, it’s probably this year, since you spawned new life, and I did nothing of the sort, so I’m asking if you’ve read One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp. I’m only about halfway through, but loving it. It’s exactly the hope/scolding I need to hear to remember to be grateful. And I don’t know… just something in her beautiful writing makes me think you’d enjoy it.

I do, however, hear you on the lack-of-friends. We have lived in our current location for almost six years now, and it still seems all our close friends live far away. As a new mom, sometimes, I just cry out of loneliness, and contrary to what well-meaning people say, “turning to the Lord” doesn’t always help. I used to think that I was lacking in my spiritual maturity/faith in some way because of that, but now I know that those yearnings for deeper, meaningful, supportive relationships are from God. We were never meant to journey through life alone.

Thanks for sharing your letter and for writing in general. We don’t know one another personally, but you bless my heart as you share yours. :~)