worthy of love
Who do you say you are? Do you identify yourself by gender, by job or by calling? For instance, I am wife, mother, grandmother. I am a curator and chronicler of stories, a lover of books and writers and literature.
Recently I had the opportunity to interview writer Adriana Trigiani via Zoom for my book group regarding her novel “The Good Left Undone.” She is funny and thoughtful and articulate, and we instantly clicked. Because her book dealt with life and death and characters of deep faith, we ended up talking about topics including how you want to live your life as you get older—what is of utmost importance to you? By the end of the conversation, I was flying high! I knew that talking about books with my friends and interviewing writers was exactly what I was made to do. But the high of being so completely in my “sweet spot” really only lasted for less than a day. I tried to share the experience with someone, but it was like telling a funny incident and then realizing that no one could understand it because “you had to be there.”
I use to go to Hollywood parties from time to time because David was writing and producing films and television. At these events I was frequently asked, “And what do you do?” I hated that question. Telling people of fame or accomplishment that I was a stay-at-home mom seemed so unimportant (even though I know it is a MOST important job). Eventually I wrote a mission statement for my life: “I appreciate and challenge my friends and community with resonant stories from literature and my life.” That statement has informed everything I do. But is it really who I am?
Last week I saw a cancer survivor, fresh off a year of grueling treatment, talking about his struggles with describing his identity. He had always found it most satisfying to describe himself as husband, father, provider, steward of the land. But through a lonely year of isolating treatments, all of that was stripped from him. How could he identify himself now that he could hardly fulfill those roles? What he finally came up with was a simple statement: “I am worthy of God’s love, simply because I exist.”
What an elegant, heartfelt response to personal trials. And if it is true, and I believe it is, then I am worthy of God’s love too, and so are you, and so is every person in the world, whether they are living life the way I think they should or not. Worthy of God’s love simply because they exist. And if they are worthy of God’s love, then I sure better love them, as well. Love them, serve them, ache for them, provide for them, raise them up, because that is what GOD’S love for them looks like.
“We are all refugees without love. We are all separate and essentially useless.” Adriana Trigiani
Together in love,
Liz
To read Adriana’s missive about the passing of Pope Francis go to <[email protected]>
