bittersweet

thanks to my wonderful, newlywed friend, erin bentley, i have fell in love with the work of shauna niequist. she is a christian writer who has two books: cold tangerines and bittersweet. both of the books are full of short stories. cold tangerines' stories are all focused on celebrating life. bittersweet's stories are, well you guessed it, about finding the bitter and the sweet in all areas of life. i have read and re-read cold tangerines. bittersweet just came out a few weeks ago and i am in the process of reading it. it's tempting to just read it all at once, but i am trying to ration it so that i can enjoy it for a while. these books are beautifully written and sometimes when i am reading them i feel like she has found the words that i am never able to find; it's like someone has listened to the circling thoughts in my head and the emotions of my heart and put them on paper. here is an excerpt from bittersweet that i particularly loved: 

‎"Now is your time. Become, believe, try. Walk closely with people you love. Don't spend time with people who make you feel like less than you are. Don't get stuck in the past, and don't try to fast-forward into a future you haven't earned yet. Give today all the love and intensity and courage you can, and keep traveling honestly along life's path."