Big news!
And burnished wisdom (from others, not me)
Big news!! I’m thrilled to share the news that I’m now being represented by Lisa Jackson at Alive Literary Agency. So many author friends have recommended Lisa to me over the years, and I am so grateful to be working with her on my next book project. Hoping I have more big news for you soon…stay tuned!
Only a few tickets are left for our Sustenance evening of storytelling in St. Paul at Art House North on July 19th. Grab yours here to hear K.J. Ramsey, Elizabeth Berget, and me in conversation about our latest books. We’ll be signing books, and you can buy any of mine there, too. (Guess who will be selling them for me? A handsome guy I happen to have married 20 years ago today.)
In honor of marriage, here are a few favorite poems. “Marriage of Many Years” by Dana Gioia. “To Hold” by Li-Young Lee. “The Country of Marriage” by Wendell Berry.
During a summer where I have cleaned the kitchen or cajoled kids into cleaning the kitchen approx 12 times/day, I deeply appreciated this: A Blessing for Things That Need Doing Again from Rev. Dr. Eliza Smith DeBevoise. “May you remember that love is not accomplished or completed once, but is practiced over and over through small and dependable acts of care.”
I usually hate the category of advice. (The word alone puts the body on the defensive.) But back when I was newly married and in graduate school, one of the deacons in my program told me that the secret to marriage was “each of you trying to out-serve the other.” I thought that was wise. Now I think it might be the secret to life. If each of us set out each day to out-serve one another, what a different world we would have. Maybe give it a try? If you have a favorite piece of advice/wisdom that has actually served you, we’d love to hear it!
Happy anniversary! We hit 14 years last month. On our flight to our honeymoon destination, we sat next to a marriage counselor (no joke!) his advice has stayed with us—cultivate a curiosity for one another. It actually has transformed arguments/assumptions, adapted us to change, and sparked conversations that needed to happen just because we choose to be curious and wonder about one another instead of getting frustrated or assuming. Cheers to many more years together!
I'm excited for your big news!! And dang it I wish I lived in Minnesota. Happy anniversary! We'll celebrate 24 years in August, and that advice given you rings true for us too....all about out-serving one another!