What drives your life?

I checked out The Purse-driven Life by Anita Renfroe from the library on the recommendation of a blogger. I don't remember which blogger, but I am pretty sure she was female, a mom and on the sundown side of thirty. This little book is peppered with wit and wisdom on a practical we've-all-been-there-honey level. If your lacking a gal pal to chat with and seeking female type encouragement, this is a book you will enjoy. If your seeking deep philosophical truth, there will not be much here to entertain you.
Because I just can't resist it, here is one of her little poetic tid-bits of wisdom. The Author Unknown wrote this, you might recognize it as a different version of Footprints.

Buttprints in the Sand
One night I had a wondrous dream
one set of footprints there was seen
the footprints of my precious lord
but mine were not along the shore
but then some stranger prints appeared
and I asked the Lord, "What have we here?
Those prints are large and round and neat
But Lord, they are too big for feet."
"My child," He said in somber tones,
"For miles I carried you alone
I challenged you to walk in faith
But you refused and made me wait.
"You disobeyed, you would not grow
The walk of faith you would not know
So I got tired and got fed up
And there I dropped you on your butt.
"Because in life there comes a time
When one must fight and one must climb
When one must rise and take a stand
or leave their buttprints in the sand."

I can only like a woman who makes me laugh and feel challenged at the same time. Be prepared this week for a couple more of Anita Renfroe's little bits of wisdom.

I read this book/poem while thinking of these questions: What are the milestones that brought change to my life? What were the pinnacle moments that caused me to grow and mature, that taught me patience or a wisdom, or a selflessness I did not have before? What besides age makes me different at forty than I was at thirty? Having my youthful emotional niece here last weekend challenged me to remember my own days of angst. I did not think I knew everything, contrary to popular belief, but I still thought I understood more than I did. I was self centered and self involved (more so than now, I think...I hope.) What changed all that? Is it only large, painful experiences? When were the times when I was sitting on my butt in the sand, wondering where God was, blind and stuck with a storm approaching? What made me stand?

Maybe we could do one of those blog things where everyone answers and then we all go and share our collective wisdom. And then you all can tell me how you explain things to young people who think they know-if not everything-more about life and pain and selflessness, then they actually do.

Or not.

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11 comments

  1. I LOVE THIS! Yes, I'm shouting!

    You have me wanting more! :o)

    Collective wisdom? Hmm...

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  2. Oh boy, I wish I could remember where I read "The Poo-poo Driven Life". I think it might have been Antique Mommy. She's a riot.

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  3. Excellent questions. At first my knee jerk answer was age - like we wine, we improve with age - but in thinking deeper, I'd have to say, for me anyway, what brought me to a wiser, more patient and more loving place, was all the crap I had to go thru - some of it, admittedly, self induced with poor choices - I guess it's true - crap fertilizes!

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  4. Okay, that's classic. As my California Governor says, "I'll be Back."

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  5. I think experience begets wisdom. The instinct to fight and to survive when things get hard, and to be seeking joy and light in our lives is what keeps us trying for something better.
    I think that there are some times that experience is the only teacher for some people. As we grow and age, we have children and/or become a part of the lives of other people's children, and we see ourselves as we once were in them. There is a certain realization there that can only come with time...a certain growth. Some things only time can explain.

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  6. that is hilarious! so funny...I may have to look for this book. Great things to ponder!
    I can recount several of my "butt print" times...

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  7. I love the butt prints poem!

    I want to play along and have a deep philosophical discussion. I'm feeling very lazy at this moment for some reason. I'm definitely leaving some butt prints behind right now. I'll have to come back after I snap out of it. (Hopefully that will be soon._

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  8. Funny poem! I think I have had my butt in the sand a time or two! (or 3 or 4)
    Have a great day!

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  9. I'm sitting on my butt playing internet scrabble....maybe I should rethink that.

    No wisdom to share today. I'm feeling anything but wise, I'm afraid.

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  10. I loved that poem! I laughed, read it to my husband and he laughed even louder!
    So funny, but what truth in it! I definitely have left "butt prints" in my lifetime.

    Age and children are helping me. I am a lot stronger and wiser in my thirties than I was in my twenties. I have a lot yet to learn.
    I'm interested in that book.

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  11. Doesn't the Almighty Supreme Magazine Cover O-Lady call these light bulb moments?

    I'd say blogging helped turn on my light bulb over the last few years.

    I love the poem. I'm going to see if it's avail. now...

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