Friday Leftovers: April 19, 2013

** Wow.

I’ve had a rash of negative missives lately (see: Facebook), and it’s had me thinking for weeks. Questions like, when did we become so mean? And, have we lost all semblance of kindness? And, is criticism the plague of our generation?...

So I turned those questions inward and didn’t like what I found. I struggle with an impulse to critique, to deconstruct, to dismantle. I too easily write people off and assume the worst. I am undoubtedly my own worst enemy. I see sharp edges that need softened, and I realize every problem has the same answer:

More grace.

This just might heal the world, mend relationships, sooth our inner turmoil. It could grease the machine of humanity and keep it running rather than grinding to a halt, stalled out for lack of mercy. It reminds us we are brothers and sisters, not demigods over one another.

... I will name the little lovely things, the beautiful moments, the good parts. Small victories deserve noticing. None of us are good at everything, but all of us are great at something. No rule requires focus on the parts we get wrong. There is always, always something worthy to honor if we’re brave enough to live like that.

... take away the need to be right, to be the winner, to nurture the injury like a little pet, keeping it safe and thriving and growing. Now add grace – undeserved maybe, unexpected perhaps. Persistent, warm, selfless mercy can turn even the biggest ship around. (Jen Hatmaker)

**Another quote that really resonated with me.

Life is a constant series of navigations. Figuring out what makes sense, directing, recovering from mistakes, celebrating success, opening vs. closing, riding the waves, surviving the lows, listening, learning, choosing, taking action. (Ali Edwards)

**I read these words -- "So yes, it all disappears quickly but it leaves behind a moment more fully lived and relationships more deeply realized." -- about the true beauty of cooking and sharing a meal. It made me think back on all the times I've sat down and enjoyed a meal with loved ones -- whether its a five-course culinary extravaganza, a special holiday tradition, or a simple tomato sandwich. The food may be long gone, but the feelings and memories are alive, building blocks of my life. The tables where I've sat. The people who've shared those tables with me. The conversations, the photos, the tastes. They get trapped in my mind, resurfacing like treasure chests, sometimes making me crave a particular dish, other times prompting me to seek out someone who shared that meal with me to "remember when." The food nourishes the body in the immediate, but it nourishes the soul in the long term.

**It is apparently "leftover quotes from blogs" this time around.

I feel like lately I've been hearing so much about how you're supposed to be "real" when you blog/tweet/instagram/facebook and it seems like most people think "real" = "negative"... but it's not necessarily so.  At least not for me... I'm authentically not negative by nature. (Kim, "Just My Type")