I’ve read five books over the winter. That’s not very many when
you consider I, at one time, read that many in a week. Of course the five a
week were mindless gothic novels.
I’d like to tell you about the last two I read: Carry on,
Warrior, the power of embracing your messy, beautiful life, by Glennon Doyle
Melton; and A River Ran Wild, by Lynne Cherry.
Even though these two are about two absolutely different subjects,
I see how they are related to each other. I’ll save that observation for last.
But first, Carry on, Warrior. Glennon Melton writes
in a refreshingly, honest style. She makes up words when she has to —
beautiful+brutal= brutiful. I have been following her blog, Momastery.com/blog, for a few months and
was curious about who Tisha and Bubba are. What in the world did she mean when
she consoled one of her fans on the loss of her “lobster.” It wasn’t until I
started reading Carry on, Warrior that I understood that Tisha and Bubba
are….well, I’m not going to spoil it for you. And if you are someone’s lobster
and/or left lung…well then, you are special indeed.
Glennon is a recovering bulimic, smoker, drug addict and
alcoholic. This is the story of how she quit all those addictions when she
found herself pregnant. She takes us through her decision to be a mom, her
marriage and children, and shows us the ugly as well as the brutiful. She never hides anything.
If you are looking for a story about a “saint” this book will
surely disappoint. If you want to read about someone just like you, just like
me, just like all your friends, imperfect, struggling to figure out what is the
next right thing to do, if you want to laugh and cry (sometimes at the same
time) then you will love this book. Carry on, Warrior!
A River Ran Wild by Lynne Cherry tells the story of the Nashua
River, a 37.5 miles long tributary of the Merrimack River in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. The reader is
taken from pre-colonial days (in the days of Chief Weeawa), through the building
of mills and factories on the river, through the river’s “death” and eventually
to the beautiful waterway we see today.
The transition from “dead” to sustaining life again is the story
of how one woman, Marion Stoddart, and her friend Oweana (a descendant of Chief
Weeawa) decided the river was too important on many levels to watch it die. And
so they appealed to those who lived along the river, who in turn protested to
politicians and persuaded the factories to stop dumping their pulp and dye into
the river. New laws were passed and mills and factories found new ways to get
rid of their polluting waste.
Slowly the river cleansed itself and, once again, it flows with
life and a view of the “pebbled bottom.”
The book is beautifully illustrated. In addition to full-page
illustrations, opposite pages are ringed with drawings of plants, animals, and
the products of industry. These provide a look back at what our world looked
like just a few years ago.
This is basically a children’s book, but, as an adult interested
in conservation and a clean environment, I was delighted with the story and the
illustrations.
How they are similar
Now, why do I see these two books as similar? Both of them are
about cleaning up something beautiful and worthwhile. Glennon Melton cleansed
her body and her life. Marion Stoddart, cleaned up a once beautiful river. Both
women had an uphill battle on their hands. Glennon seems to have had a good
support group (but do not interpret that as her journey being easy), while
Marion was surrounded by people who didn’t think the cleanup could be done, or
people who just didn’t want to “do the next right thing.” In Glennon’s words we
all need to keep “showing up.” Both women did that. Look at the beauty that
resulted. All of us, warriors all, can now paddle (literally or symbolically)
our wild rivers, and we can do it safely with more support than we ever knew
existed.
Carry on, Warrior and paddle that wild river!
Note:
Along the river, from Ayer, MA to Nashua, NH, is one of the
best bike paths I’ve ever ridden. The 22-mile ride (round trip) features the
dam in Pepperell, beaver lodges (if they are still there), and orchards. At the
Nashua end, there is a small pond where one can sit and enjoy a picnic lunch.
The last time I was there (2006) there were no picnic tables or benches, but by
the time you get there, you’re just as happy to be sitting on the grass.
Depending on the weather, you might want to take your shoes off and wade in the
water. I’m planning to go back for another ride this June.
