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OCD treatment taught me to sit with discomfort. 2020 is reminding me how. . I've thought over and over and over of that scene in Voyage of the Dawn Treader, when madness seems to have descended on the crew, when nightmares feel close enough to hear climbing up the sides of the ship. . Lucy cries out for Alan's help and feels the tiniest bit better and then comes the albatross that whispers, "Courage, dear heart." . I have been trying to sit up on the mast in the darkness and watch the albatross approach, looking like a kite, an aeroplane, and a cross.

A post shared by Jackie Lea Sommers (@jackieleasommers) on Oct 17, 2020 at 11:22am PDT

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2020 has reminded me of the joyful, challenging, blessed work of creative writing. I can’t help but think of how Annie Dillard described it: "At its best, the sensation of writing is that of any unmerited grace. It is handed to you, but only if you look for it. You search, you break your heart, your back, your brain, and then – and only then – it is handed to you. From the corner of your eye you see motion. Something is moving through the air and headed your way." Mmm.

A post shared by Jackie Lea Sommers (@jackieleasommers) on Oct 13, 2020 at 8:24pm PDT