Friday, June 1, 2012

You can get a higher education in four years

Brigid has just celebrated her fourth blogiversary, and so congratulations are in order all around.  In my case, I have to also offer thanks.  You see, I wouldn't be half the writer that I am if it weren't for her. Yeah, yeah, I hear what you're saying: Damning with faint praise, ain't cha Borepatch?  Well, just think how bad it would be here otherwise ...

But in all seriousness, if you want to write better, you need to read good writers.  As with any skill, if you want to pick it up you should hang out with the masters of the trade.  When the trade you want to pick up is how to blog about matters of the Soul, you don't find many masters better than her.

For me, it comes natural to let my clinical, analytic Left Brain take over the blog.  For subjects scientific, that's perhaps a good thing.  But the most important things I've written have come from that deep well of the human spirit.  Tapping into that is something that I never knew how to do until I saw how Brigid did it.
All along the wooded trail going home there are things we might miss seeing, because they have not been named. Small pools of darkness within a wandering stream, the gloss of light on leaves and the shape of shadows on the bark. The feel of the wind against my neck, a gentle reminder from up above that I will not be forgotten. A reminder that He who has no name, knows mine. The wind as cool breath on my neck reminding me that I am loved, that my name is on someones lips. For earth without form is void, but heaven without names is only blackness.
I wrote once on the lesson in her writing:
There's a lot of blank space in that paragraph, waiting for your mind to fill it with your own memories of people or dreams long gone, of hopes for where you might go. Your own mind whispers words behind her words.

I'm told that Envy is one of the Deadly Sins. Bless me, Father, for I have sinned.
Thank you, Brigid.  I would not have been able to write some of the things I needed to write - especially during the last couple of years - without the gift you have shared with us.

And thank you for your friendship.  It means more that I can say, even after learning the lesson of your writing.  But you know that.

I'm selfish, and so I hope for another four years, and another, and another.

5 comments:

agirlandhergun said...

She is a fabulous writing.

Jay G said...

My blogson speaks truth, Brigid. Please continue to share your gift with us.

And congrats on 4 years!

Rev. Paul said...

Her writing is without peer, IMHO, and she's made me a better writer, too. I haven't spent much time writing, lately, but I always have hers in mind when I look at mine.

She's safe. :)

SiGraybeard said...

She is certainly one of the bright spots of the web, and all the better that she's in our community.

Home on the Range said...

I tried to comment on this earlier, but blogger and gmail both were giving me fits.

Thank you. I started some scribblings in a journal about 20 years ago when I was a young bride. Much like the blog. Thoughts, memories, happiness. My spouse found them and burned them, saying "it's not any good, no one will read it" and even after he imploded and was gone, I didn't put pen to paper for over 10 years, believing his words that I had no talent of any kind with writing, or anything else I ever did.

It's been a slow start, yet a rewarding one. I do it for ME, yet, the fact that others connect with it, means much to me.

Through it I've made many good friends "off blog" as one might way. You are one of those.

There's been more than one Sunday when EJ IM'd and said "what are you doing?" and I said "I'm on the phone trading soup recipes with borepath!" and he'd just say "Yup, call me later".

Your support has meant a lot, through a lot of stuff never discussed on the blog. Your friendship is invaluable.

thank you.