True Words Tuesday: Anne Lamott

This is one of my favorite quotes

from Anne Lamott's memoir Traveling Mercies. 

Who hasn't been in this place?

The death of someone you love,

the demise of a significant relationship,

the loss of something by which you defined yourself.

Any of these can transport you to a dire place.

The hard thing to remember is that,

while we can’t control the things that happen to us,

we can choose how to respond.

Suffering is optional, not inevitable.

I wish it hadn't taken me so long to get the truth of this.

Glad I finally did. 

Even if I have to occasionally pull my finger out of the socket.