Dear Sue, she of Discombobula, has seen fit to bestow on me the “I Love Your Blog” award. I am really touched that she’d do that—her own blog is unfailingly beautiful, shamingly honest, full of deep and searching faith: truly one of my own favourites.
Sue says, wisely and typically, of the supposed rules that attach to accepting this decoration, “I hate rules. The last rule of this award is to pass this on 10 bloggers . Never forget, however, that rules are made to be broken and so if you don't want to play, feel free not to.” Right on, Sue. I won’t. I have a blogroll, and I link to blogs I love. I can’t imagine selecting 10.
Another stipulation of this blog-loving award thingy is that one should list 10 things one loves. Ah, now that’s more like it… but only 10? Well, the best amplifiers go to 11, they say…
In no particular order (you are not to assume one, either, see?):
Christ’s mercy. Why do you think this blog is called what it it? More necessary than the air we breathe, more beautiful than any made thing. Can’t stop thinking about it, ever, really.
My sisters and brothers in Christ. Honestly. More and more. How could I live without you lot? Lovely, impossible, irresistible—we are family, in the deepest possible way.
The Third Order Society of St. Francis. See above, with bells on.
Music. Oh, we agree on this one, Sue! Playing music, listening to music, mucking around with the endlessly fascinating technicalities of music, learning stuff and finding out there’s just so much more to learn. Oh, what a glorious gift, what an incredible way to have fun…
Beer. Good beer, mind. I am entirely unashamed in my contempt for the brewing conglomerates. Beer should be local, idiosyncratic, individual, delicious.
Living simply. I truly do really really enjoy doing without stuff I don’t need. This isn’t a virtue, it’s a delight.
Created things, particularly animals. (Special mention for cats here…) I can’t get over the fact that God has made this creation of his so various, so endlessly marvellous (I’m seriously beginning to run out of adjectives…). See what Gerard Manley Hopkins had to say about it. Which brings me to…
Poetry. As necessary as mathematics, and as exacting. David knew what he was about when he set out to write those Psalms. And that reminds me…
The Bible. I really do love the Bible. All of it. Read Psalm 119 if you want to know why.
The sea. I am always most myself by, on, occasionally in, the sea, somehow.
Someone who knows who she is. Never would have imagined…
So there we are. Not according to the rules, but it’s the best I can do. My heart is very full, an unexpected side-effect of a silly blogospherical game. Or more than that?
2 comments:
Oh, Mike. What a beautiful list, so rich, so individual, and so YOU. I think that someone who knows who she is is a lucky woman.
Your list is very Franciscan, full of the heights and the depths, the earth, the water, the light, the sound, the beautiful things of life. I'm so glad you played, my heart feels fuller for having read it.
Thank you, Sue! And sorry those thanks have been so long in coming... I'm really the best at responding to comments, and it really is unkind of me. Mea culpa!
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