I recently finished reading Remember God by Annie F Downs. I’m a huge fan of hers and I think it’s because I see so much of myself in her.
Towards the end of the book, she’s reflecting on a past journal entry where she realizes something important about her personality. I read it and re-read it a few times with tear streaming down my cheeks. I immediately grabbed my phone and texted a couple of friends, “thank you for holding my string!”
They had no idea what I meant, so let me explain it to you in the way I explained it to them. Annies writes,
“I am lightweight and fun and carefree. But that makes me deeply afraid of floating away.”
YES, Annie! YES! I am fun. And I go where the wind blows, but I’m so so so afraid of being blown right off the face of the earth. And I would float into the sky until I was a tiny speck. And then the speck would disappear and no-one would be able to find me.
“So I’m partial to having a person I can tie to, who can be my heavyweight, who won’t let me float away.”
I am definitely tied to my husband! He so much more logical and realistic than I am and I am so glad I can get his feet off the ground sometimes too. But I also have a group of women who listen to my every whim and remind me that I need to stay rooted.
To those of you who hold my string, thank you. I love that you listen to my ideas and enjoy my fun and dare to dream with me. But I also appreciate that you won’t let me float away.
