Becky that morning had awakened before dawn… She lay in the dark and listened to the tick and wheeze of the radiator, the struggling clank of pipes below. As if for the first time, she appreciated the goodness of being snug in a house on a cold morning. Also, no less, the goodness of the cold, which made the snugness possible; the two things fit together like a pair of mouths…
When the alarm clock went off in her parents’ bedroom, one door over from hers, it wasn’t the usual cruel morning sound but a promise of everything the day ahead might hold. When she heard the faint buzz of her father’s shaver and the footsteps of her mother in the hallway, she was amazed she’d never noticed, until today, how precious ordinary life was and how lucky she was to be a part of it. So much goodness. Other people were good. She herself was good. She felt goodwill to all mankind.
— Jonathan Franzen, Crossroads: A Novel (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, October 5, 2021)
Dave – I’m starting this today!! S-l-o-w d-o-w-n!!! Bewilderment left me sobbing 😭
Laughing. I loved Bewilderment too!
I just heard NPR Interview And talk about bewilderment. Definitely getting ready to check it out with a box of Kleenex next to me!
Good!
…and feeling blessed by the ordinary makes the ordinary extraordinary…really.
Yes!
And another into the queue….
What an assume talent he is…
Those waking up early morning sounds…listen.
Yes!
I really enjoyed his book “The Corrections.” I’m sure this one is another winner.
I 1/10 of the way in. And fully hooked.
For those who scoff at the mundane as boring find that they have missed the most treasured things in life.
-Alan
Truth Alan. Truth.
Another ordinary day…filled to the brim with hope.
Wait for it…
No.
Make it happen.
Yes! Exactly!
yes, another day, another chance
That’s it. And how lucky we are.
What a delicious snippet of yet another book to add to the pile…
Yes. He’s an amazing talent.
I love Jonathan Frazen’s writing…Becky’s dawning growth of reality an epiphany…appreciation arose, autonomy of self & independent thought emerged within…the comfort and protection of shelter, the security of Love of Family constant…she immersed her thoughts towards the Joy of Possibilities that has always been in front of her…she now cherishes and knows that Each Breath is a Gift…
Agree with you Christie.