Stitches: A Handbook on Meaning, Hope and Repair

I'm a big fan of Anne Lamott. Her work speaks to me as a mom, a recovering codependent, a recovering imposter. This collection of chapters are sweet, practical, loving, grieving deep wonders of our lives as we age into ourselves.

If you like an approach to spirituality that is big-hearted, nonjudgmental, fun, joyous, smart, active, non-priggish and inclusive, welcome to Anne Lamott's books. You may wish she were your Sunday School teacher. I once thought that it's hard to get smart, spiritual and funny in a combination. Lamott serves it up.This slim handbook of 98 pages on meaning, hope and repair is a follow-up to Lamott's previous book HELP, THANKS, WOW: The Three Essential Prayers. This book opens with the concept that "life holds beauty, magic and anguish". It tells you what you can do during the anguish. When our life is on track - having love, family, work - it's easier to cope with the anguish Lamott tells us.But what do we do when our lives are off track, and we stumble upon evil, sadness, illness or death? What do you do on the really bad days during an extended rough time? Lamott sketches out some simple and deep concepts that have worked for her and those she has known. One concept inspired the title of this book and that's to keep stitching, take those next small steps which keep you going. They may be daily rituals like a walk around the neighborhood or a meal with a friend who listens well.Some of Lamott's writing in this book which jumped off the pages for me - you will enjoy finding your own inspiration:* "Oh, honey, buckle up, it gets worse."* "We live stitch by stitch, when we're lucky."* "My brothers and I were not encouraged to search for God, the obvious source of solace, but we three kids were led to the world of books, which to us was just as good. We found in books the divine plop, the joy of settling down deeply into something, worlds and realities greater than our own troubled minds. All of life, for me, begins with books and art."* "Daily rituals, especially walks, even forced marches around the neighborhood, and schedules, whether work or meals with non-awful people, can be the knots you hold on to when you've run out of hope."* "They taught me that maturity was the ability to live with unresolved problems."One joy of books is the ability to learn from folks who are on the same wave length and journey. You can assimilate the lessons from their experiences, and the inspiration that comes to their thought, as they puzzle over life's questions. If you appreciate books and people that make spirituality warm and welcoming, or are going through a really tough time and want some hope, meaning and repair, this handbook offers it. It's short - five small chapters, but comforting.

I recently had my hip replaced and took this book with me to the hospital. I thought that by the title alone, it would be just the spiritual medicine I would need to get me back on track. Little did I know however, that I had no physical stitches in my incision. The surgeon glued me back together. Modern medicine is quite amazing.What I learned from this book is that even though I didn't get stitched back together, many stitches have been made in the quilt that is me from this experience. We are made up of stitches, each one carefully sewn for every step we take in life.There are many passages here that I wanted to highlight and remember forever. The one however, that stuck with me is, "The American way is to not need help, but to help." Right now I need help to do a lot of things and I hate asking for it. I'm using a walker just to get around. Managing it and me is a full time effort. I can't even get a drink from the refrigerator with out asking for it. It is a humbling experience and a lesson I needed to learn. And a stitch my quilt needed in order to grow.I love Anne Lamott. She's funny and has a unique way of writing about the journey of life. I have to admit I liked Help, Thanks, Wow a bit better than Stitches. This book was exactly what I needed during my road to recovery. It's amazing to me how books have a way of working their way to the top of the reading pile at just the right time.

I urge you to read this wonderful book, filled with Anne Lamott's wisdom and advice on "collecting the ripped shreds of our emotional and spiritual fabric" and how to "sew them back together, one stitch at a time." While there are indeed descriptions of sewing and quilting woven throughout the book, there is also so much more. She even shares her perspective on the horror of the Newtown shootings.Lamott doesn't gloss over hard truths. She acknowledges that life can sometimes be so painful that it seems unbearable. It can be incredibly difficult to search for even a tiny shred of meaning in the midst of emotional and physical chaos. I admire such honesty, the kind that pulls no punches but also sheds light on ways to survive even the hardest times, finding ways back to joy.I also savored the details about how she - and some of those she knew- struggled to hold the "fabric" of their lives together amid great challenges. Sometimes comfort comes from special possessions. Lamott clings to the shirt of a beloved friend who died, even as it becomes worn and threadbare, afraid that losing the shirt will threaten her memories of their friendship. A friend helps her find an unorthodox way to salvage cherished curtains torn by her dog, leading to new insights about the beauty of imperfection, both in the patched curtains and in life.I was deeply moved by her description of a couple, married for forty years, being torn apart "like a strip of old cloth" in the wake of the husband's faltering mind. Lamott doesn't shy away from the pain of such moments but also shares moments of hope, comfort, and humor. Her previous book focused primarily on prayer, faith, and gratitude. This time around she has written one which is "intended to be useful on the bad days." For me, it is that and more, with a depth and power that has me convinced I'll be revisiting this one for years to come.

Anne is prophetic but relatable and makes all thing harsh much softer. I’ve yet to read anything by her that has disappointed me.

Anne writes with a beauty and pace that allows the soul to breath again. Her thoughts on repair I found particularly thought provoking and healing. This is not a book of easy answers, but rather feels like a book of companionship. Anne accompanies, and stays the distance and the depths with you in her writing. If there is anything just slightly lacking it was her words on 'meaning' they didn’t quite hit the mark for me. However, I think that’s my weakest link at the moment, so my thirst is unquenchable. It will be interesting to read that part again when I am in a different place on this journey!

As usual - her book is absolutely grounded, absolutely spot on and talks directly to you. Thanks Anne - after reading your other books, I still put a wee piece of paper with a request for help from God in a little box and wait to see what happens. It can take a while, but you get the answer eventually.

Lovely book, really enjoy this author’s work

A wonderful heart warming read. I love how she write for the soul rather than the mind . Highly recommended