On Being Broken

I am a huge fan of the listener-essay series, This I Believe, on NPR. With the tagline, “a public dialogue about belief–one essay at a time,” this reincarnation of a 1950’s radio show is a deep trove of thoughtful and beautiful writing, as well as a great resource for teaching and learning to write.

If you are lost or ill, [receiving a gift] is easy, but most days you are neither, so embracing extreme generosity takes some preparation….We are no good at being helpless, humble, or indebted. Being needy is not celebrated on day-time TV shows, or in self-help books. We make lousy kindees.

–Kevin Kelley, on the “eternal offer” of Christmas in, The Universe is Conspiring to Help Us

I can’t solve the problems of my community or the world, but I can mend things at hand….I see mending as a preservation of history and a proclamation of hope.

–Susan Cooke Kittredge, on the difference between mending and fixing in We All Need Mending, which reminds me of an earlier essay by Angie Carlson, Garments of Faith.

Feeling inspired? Contribute your own essay to This I Believe!