A Fragrant Kindness

A bit of fragrance always clings to the hand that gives roses.  ~Chinese Proverb
A bit of fragrance always clings to the hand that gives roses. ~Chinese Proverb

Your lovely, lovely words and comments have been a strong cup of grace to me this week. I have read and cherished every one–smiled at some; brimmed with tears over others. I don’t know what to say in response to your generous kindness but thank you. I am overwhelmed. God bless you all…

7 Comments

  1. No Lanier…it is us who thank you. We thank you for the gift of your lovely writing, the glimpse of loveliness you give in an often very unlovely place (the web) and for your continued reminder that it is right and good to honour God, our husbands and our true calling in life. When I visit Lanier’s Books I am reminded of Jocelyn Irving, from A City of Bells, who said “It’s curious how one can feel friends with a man one has never met.” That is exactly what you are to me….a friend I’ve yet to meet.

  2. I echo Stacy’s sentiment that I feel we are friends, introduced through words and ideas and great questing for beauty and purpose in a world largely given over to other (dare I say opposite?) interests. Open hearts create opportunities for us to come alongside one another and encourage, exhort, and enjoy. I love rambling along with you as you ponder something. My blog falls to rambling often, and of late I have neglected posting, and nearly closed it up in favor of returning to solo journal musings alone. (I am still an avid journal writer, with mere glimpses spilling over to my blog). I felt a lack of connection with most bloggers as I am a mom at home who delights in teaching her children, loving her husband, tending her garden, cooking, baking, tidying, reading and reading and reading (though rarely anything current), sipping tea, throwing parties, and all the rest that would have made me an oh-so-common woman in a more genteel day. I thought I floated along on my own lilypad, as most of my readers come for a peek into a very different pathway through life. They are dear and precious, but they find me a bit . . . um . . . odd, I believe Of late, meeting here at your special spot, I can see that there are more like me and in a variety of ages. It is a delight to come for “tea” here with you and so many others. The talk of books and such sets my heart a-flutter and encourages me to blog a-new for beauty and joy, knowing I am not so very alone. Thank you for the inspiration!

  3. I echo Stacy’s sentiment that I feel we are friends, introduced through words and ideas and great questing for beauty and purpose in a world largely given over to other (dare I say opposite?) interests. Open hearts create opportunities for us to come alongside one another and encourage, exhort, and enjoy. I love rambling along with you as you ponder something. My blog falls to rambling often, and of late I have neglected posting, and nearly closed it up in favor of returning to solo journal musings alone. (I am still an avid journal writer, with mere glimpses spilling over to my blog). I felt a lack of connection with most bloggers as I am a mom at home who delights in teaching her children, loving her husband, tending her garden, cooking, baking, tidying, reading and reading and reading (though rarely anything current), sipping tea, throwing parties, and all the rest that would have made me an oh-so-common woman in a more genteel day. I thought I floated along on my own lilypad, as most of my readers come for a peek into a very different pathway through life. They are dear and precious, but they find me a bit . . . um . . . odd, I believe Of late, meeting here at your special spot, I can see that there are more like me and in a variety of ages. It is a delight to come for “tea” here with you and so many others. The talk of books and such sets my heart a-flutter and encourages me to blog a-new for beauty and joy, knowing I am not so very alone. Thank you for the inspiration!

  4. I echo Stacy’s sentiment that I feel we are friends, introduced through words and ideas and great questing for beauty and purpose in a world largely given over to other (dare I say opposite?) interests. Open hearts create opportunities for us to come alongside one another and encourage, exhort, and enjoy. I love rambling along with you as you ponder something. My blog falls to rambling often, and of late I have neglected posting, and nearly closed it up in favor of returning to solo journal musings alone. (I am still an avid journal writer, with mere glimpses spilling over to my blog). I felt a lack of connection with most bloggers as I am a mom at home who delights in teaching her children, loving her husband, tending her garden, cooking, baking, tidying, reading and reading and reading (though rarely anything current), sipping tea, throwing parties, and all the rest that would have made me an oh-so-common woman in a more genteel day. I thought I floated along on my own lilypad, as most of my readers come for a peek into a very different pathway through life. They are dear and precious, but they find me a bit . . . um . . . odd, I believe Of late, meeting here at your special spot, I can see that there are more like me and in a variety of ages. It is a delight to come for “tea” here with you and so many others. The talk of books and such sets my heart a-flutter and encourages me to blog a-new for beauty and joy, knowing I am not so very alone. Thank you for the inspiration!

  5. Hello Lanier!

    All week I’ve been meaning to leave a note on your other post, but I’m only now getting the chance to write…

    I began reading your blog after your “Day-in-the-Life” post at YLCF. Since then, there’s rarely been a day that I don’t check back here! And the same can be said for my mother and two younger sisters. When we began reading, we were in the midst of an uncertain, unsettled time, taken up with a family member’s illness, several looming decisions, and much unplanned travel–all of it lasting through the entire Christmas season. Your Christmas posts, so concentrated in the sharp joy and anticipation of the season, made us long for the calm we could not have this year…yet we were able to share in some of it through your writing.

    And now that things have settled back into place, we keep coming back. In reading your posts, I am learning to see life, as you do, through golden lenses–not blocking out the pain or disappointments or irritations, but seeing through them to our Father Who authors them for our eventual joy.

    Besides which, like so many others here, I share and am delighted by your love for literature, gardens, tea, England, home, family…it has been such fun to “meet” all the people that have posted over the last few days expressing the same feelings! It reminds me of something C.S.Lewis said about friendship: “The typical expression of opening Friendship would be something like, ‘What? You too? I thought I was the only one.'”

    Thank you for sharing your heart with all of us!

  6. I must wholeheartedly concur with what has been written here by others.They expressed exactly how I feel about this lovely place on the web.This is a place of beauty and reflection.A place that I come to often to reflect and renew and just unwind.You write so beautifully Lanier.And all about the things I love too!God,England,beauty,etc.Thank you for sharing so openly with us.Blessings~Sharon

  7. I would like to chime in here and say that I’ve recently rediscovered you, having first found you a couple years ago via a search for Elizabeth Goudge…who is my very favorite author and whose works shaped me, unawares, from very early when my mother brought her novels home from the library and I first began reading them. And in recent years as I re-read them yet again (I’ve managed to collect most of them and they are always at my fingertips), I discover new unfoldings of wisdom and truth in this Christian faith as my own walk with the Lord grows ever closer…there seems to be no end to all this glory and wonder!

    In your earlier post you articulated so very well some of how I too look at life and this “pilgrims’ way” we are walking upon. It is so wonderful to find a fellow soul who is like a friend and sister in many ways. Thank you.

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