I read a lot in this genre of self-help and spirituality and I have to say, this book caught me by surprise. Partly it's because there's such a light touch to every story. Anderson is a pastor but he doesn't preach.
I loved the one titled, Hands off: We Hatch Alone. It's about his visit to a kindergarten class where they were hatching a box of chicks. All the children were instructed to keep their hands folded behind their backs. Anderson did too. And then he spins a gentle tale of how this simple posture of attentive detachment works in our relationships. "We cannot stop drinking for someone else...we cannot lift the pall of depression...If they are going to break into freedom, they will have to hatch themselves."
And so it goes, story after story. There's the one about the cat, Oliver, who has the instinct to hunt but when he actually gets outdoors, meekly returns to the warmth of the kitchen. I sat there thinking about all the times the door of opportunity slid open for me and I retreated. I have a name for this now. I used to call it fear. Now I call it Oliver.
Then there's the one about the woman who received last rites and came back to life for the love of meat loaf. And the one about American men (and husbands) and how the best path to spiritual growth and vital relationship with our spouse might just be dancing lessons.
Finally, I guess why I like this book is that Anderson is such a likeable guy. The book is solid gold but it has the warmth of a real person living a real life. He's smart and witty but he's also just a lot of fun, the kind of neighbor you'd be eager to see and talk to over the fence.
I loved this book. I'm giving them away for Christmas!