If you were dying, would you hug more freely?
My thanks to Mari Gonzalez who sent this to me. You might remember Emma’s "Free Hugs" experiment. Here it is in a slightly different context. Some things are universal. If you were dying, would you hug more freely? You are dying. You just don’t know when. Hug, hug.
Verbs Down Under!
Verbs have hit Australia! From Karynne, in New South Wales, this note: Yesterday, four copies of your eagerly awaited masterpiece arrived … lovingly delivered by a young Australia Post delivery man who spent ten minutes patting my dogs, and talking about his passion for life, his family and his own …
Day 5 :: Give your blanket to your mom and go to New Hampshire
Wow, what a challenge, Patti! Thank you for helping spark this great conversation between me and my 8-year-old, Mia. Having been through the death of untold numbers of slippery, squishy, and furry pet friends, it’s not a new subject for us. But this was different. Personal. Sweet and sad and …
Day 6 :: Be totally devoted
Patti, I just wanted you to know that I wanted to write something for your 37 Days countdown to Life is a Verb, but I just couldn’t. Every time I started to think about it, I started crying, and I just can’t go there. My mom died when I was …
Day 7 :: Color your movie wildly magenta
Ah, Patti, my long-ago, french-fry eating friend. Since you asked this question I have been struggling, wrestling, stomping my feet in my best 4 year old way, alternately trying to find an honest answer and sticking my fingers in my virtual ears and yelling "go away! go away! I don’t …
It’s not quite an Airstream, but hope springs eternal
As customer reviews begin to appear on Amazon for Life is a Verb, and as I begin to get emails from around the world about the book, I am truly humbled by your words. As my friend, Mike Wagner, said when all the incredible art starting flowing in for the …
Poppy’s 37 days
I got an extraordinary gift this morning from a woman named Becky in Savusavu, Fiji. All the way from Fiji! Here’s her note: Patti, I think you’ll appreciate this article from Sunday’s Washington Post about a man, a butterfly, and their 37 days. What would a butterfly do if it …
Day 8 :: Chant your fall list daily
Some time ago I had one of those dreams that sticks around–I was driving up a mountain road and felt the back tires of the car slide, first off of the asphalt, and then off of the ground on a particularly steep and tricky curve. At first, I thought: this …
Day 9 :: Play tag in the park and knit without guilt
If I had thirty seven days left in this world, I would spend seven of them in Paris no matter the cost. Taking care of myself, preparing myself. I would wander the streets and museums, filling myself with the love and ancient stability of its stones. I would restore my …
Day 10 :: Remember your smallness
If I only had 37 days to live, I would remember my smallness. Hopefully, many of those 37 days would result in 37 evening skies filled with stars. After most days, I need the stars to remind me of how small I am. The universe is vast, and our lives …
