Gift from the Sea: An answer to the conflicts in our lives

by Anne Morrow Lindbergh
my mother's copy, hardcover, 128 pages
genre: philosophy? personal essay?

I was so excited to see this as I helped my sister with clearing out some of our mother's books. Ever since reading The Aviator's Wife, I've been curious about reading some of her work. Perfect!

I don't want to write about this the way I usually do, but rather in impressions.

Parts of it read like poetry, a gorgeous love of words and how they can evoke places, ideas, and feelings. I could savor, re-read, and contemplate the text.

I wish I could talk with my mom about what this book meant to her. There is something innately lonely and companionable about motherhood and its demands on a person.

At times, I thought it was overwrought and dramatic (more reflective of my mood at the moment than Lindbergh's writing?).

Page 42 - "Now instead of planting our solitude with our own dream blossoms, we choke the space with continuous music, chatter, and companionship to which we do not even listen. It is simply there to fill the vacuum. When the noise stops there is no inner music to take its place. We must re-learn to be alone."

Imagine what she would think of modern day smart phones and instant access to nearly anything!

Page 49 - "By and large, mothers and housewives are the only workers who do not have regular time off. They are the great vacationless class."

Amen, sister! I'm not in that stage of life anymore, but there were days I just wanted to be all by myself. I remember telling my mom that if I were locked up in solitary confinement, that would be so relaxing . . . and she just laughed at me.

Page 50 - "What a commentary on our civilization, when being alone is considered suspect; when one has to apologize for it, make excuses, hide the fact that one practices it - like a secret vice!"

Page 100 - "We run bare-legged to the beach, which lies smooth, flat, and glistening with fresh wet shells after the night's tides. the morning swim has the nature of a blessing to me, a baptism, a rebirth to the beauty and wonder of the world."

She and her sister have this wonderful beach retreat. Lovely!

Page 124 - "The inter-relatedness of the world links us constantly with more people than our hearts can hold. Or rather - for I believe the heart is infinite - modern communication loads us with more problems than the human frame can carry. It is good, I think, for our hearts, our minds, our imaginations to be stretched; but body, nerve, endurance, and life are not as elastic."

Sometimes I feel overwhelmed about all the people and issues to care about and pray about. I'm glad that God is infinite and infinitely able!

Under a Wing: A Memoir

by Reeve Lindbergh
Hennepin County Library hardcover 222 pages
genre: non-fiction, memoir

This wasn't as captivating as The Aviator's Wife, which is frustrating since that was fiction and Lindbergh's book is about her life and memories. I loved the photos and the way the remembrances made me want to write my own stories. I appreciate that she neither tried to demonize nor sugarcoat her parents' lives. This seems very honest and observant.

Page 58 - "I had no interest in my father's flying or his writing career, but I thought that surely my mother did not really want to be shut away for a whole afternoon with a pen and a pad of paper, without seeing my face, hearing my thoughts, inspecting my bruises, or in some other way affirming for both of us the extraordinary importance of my presence in her life."

This made me smile! As the youngest child, I'm sure Reeve (like most small children) really DO think they're the center of the universe.

Page 81 - I made a note of her comment about the movie The Fisher King (with Robin Williams). Apparently there's a scene where they actually make fun of Anne Morrow Lindbergh wondering where her baby is. I've never heard of this movie, and I'm horrified that someone would joke about a personal tragedy this way. Here's what I found: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmfGLfWqlzA

Page 117 - The whole scene where she talks about being at her grandma's house and offered malted milk tablets! What a hoot! She expected something nasty. "I made a vow to myself, too, that no matter how terrible the next few seconds might be, I would not choke or vomit. Thus stoically prepared, I selected one of the clay-colored capsules, thrust it quickly back toward my molars, and bit down into one of the great surprises of my life. Malted milk tablets were delicious. The taste that touched my tongue and spread everywhere through my mouth was as rich and deep and delightful as chocolate, which I adored. I was mesmerized, astonished, completely seduced. I chewed, sucked, and drizzled malted milk into the greedy moistness of my inner cheeks while I stared at my father and my grandmother, and I felt an unsuspected melting pleasure of belonging draw itself gently over me."

Page 181 - "She will carefully mark special places in these diaries as she reads, sometimes leaving as many as fifty markers in one book. She will mark her place, or her places, with scraps of paper, envelopes, napkins, pieces of ribbon, whatever comes to hand."

Reeve is referring to her mother, but I loved that image and I also love to "mark" up books . . . usually with Post-it notes.

Page 216 - "She said that it had been his hbvit for so long, growing up so alone, to listen only to himself. He had learned to rely on his own judgment, and this had been critical for him, because his survival often depended upon following his instincts."

This is Anne ML referring to Charles, but it just made me think of Proverbs 3:5-6 "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding . . . "