I’ve been thinking about what it means to bear witness to another’s life. I googled “bear witness” and at first I didn’t find anything to help me with my understanding. What I discovered dealt with bearing witness in such a way as to provide evidence, or give testimony to, or even to remember. But those definitions don’t quite capture what’s been on my mind.
Then I stumbled upon this movie quote from Susan Sarandon’s character in the movie, Shall We Dance.
"We need a witness to our lives. There are a billion people on the planet...I mean, what does any one life really mean? But in a marriage, you're promising to care about everything. The good things, the bad things, the terrible things, the mundane things...all of it, all of the time, every day. You're saying, 'Your life will not go unnoticed because I will notice it. Your life will not go un-witnessed because I will be your witness.'"
I have never been married, so I don’t know if it is the ultimate act of bearing witness to another’s life, but Sarandon’s character more accurately captures what I’ve been contemplating.
When I started blogging last September, I did so with the intention to create a space in which to write, hoping that somehow membership in the blogosphere would be the inspiration I needed.
I never imagined it would be more than that. I had no idea I’d become part of a community of people who bear witness to each others’ lives: “the good things, the bad things, the terrible things, the mundane things.”
I did not know that I would miss Beth when she went on vacation, that I’d fall in love with Hetha’s, Carrie’s, Maddy’s and Vicki’s children, each of them with special needs, or that I’d feel frustrated, angry even, with Deb’s and Eileen’s husbands or relieved when each one redeemed himself!
I had no idea I’d rejoice, jump up and down even, with Carrie who took a trip to NY to visit potential book agents, or that I'd be so excited to meet Felicia Sullivan, both in the blogosphere and in person.
I had no way of knowing that I’d laugh out loud reading a dog’s perspective of living with his peeps in England, or that such violent RAGE would erupt from the very depths of my being while reading Mariah's description of being sexually abused by a school administrator when she was a kid!
I did not know that I would cry over Deb’s missing cat or share Eileen’s anxiety and fear when her daughter needed hospitalization in a place nearly 3 hours from their hometown, and I did not know I’d be moved to tears by Amber’s rendering of visiting her brother in prison.
I had no way of knowing how connected I’d feel to Deb in England who courageously struggles with depression, or to Dave in Canada who suddenly lost his hearing, or to San Diego Momma who is on a forgiveness journey similar to mine.
I did not know that I’d weep for the Forman-Kamida family who unexpectedly lost their 7-year-old son. Nor did I know that I would stand in their living room two weeks later as Vicki recalled her beautiful boy’s last day. I had no way of knowing how deeply I’d care about Vicki and how fervently I would pray for her family.
I certainly had no way of knowing how my own life would be witnessed. I did not expect that I’d receive an email about how my writing made one man in Ohio cry. And I never expected that my inbox would fill up with inquiries as to how I was doing when I was sick and missed days of posting.
I never expected that other bloggers would link to my blog like they did here, here, here and here.
I did not know that I’d have the honor and privilege of reading the manuscripts of memoir writers I’d grown to love, or that I’d come home one day to flowers and a gift basket on my doorstep (from a blogger I've never met) after Kristine died and I’d been asked to fly to Austin to give her eulogy.
I had no way of knowing that you, my blogging friends, would become REAL friends, that I would call some of you on the phone and visit some of you in your homes, or that I’d have open invitations to Ohio, Washington, and upstate New York.
I did not know I was beginning a journey of bearing witness to the lives of people in Oregon, Ohio, New York, Connecticut, Washington, Northern and Southern California, Indiana, Missouri, Illinois, and even Canada and England, to name just a few.
(There are oh so many more of you!)
I certainly did not know how many people would faithfully bear witness to my life.
For what we have done by blogging and reading others’ blogs is akin to saying, “Your life will not go unnoticed because I will notice it. Your life will not go un-witnessed because I will be your witness."
I am forever grateful to each of you for allowing me to bear witness to your lives and for the ways in which you bear witness to mine!
In one year, my life has been transformed (a lot less "crooked" and a lot more "straight") through participation in this community.
Thank you.
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