Beatrice Alemana has written our hearts into this book.

with 3 kids (no more counting!), my oldest is taken into much introspection regarding how he (doesn’t) fit. into routines. expectations. how he is (unfortunately) compared by people, to people. unintentionally. but hurtfully nonetheless sometimes.

he isn’t that different from anyone, in any sense. and he doesn’t (just like me) buy into that “everyone is special so let’s get a present!” all the time. but he (just like me), crave to fit, into spaces. into situations. into life. quietly or or more often, noisily.

the 5 misfits spoke to him. laughingly so. and how when perfection presents, shows that he is not the best fit after all. even though we all (even big people) feel that. are showed that. fed that. all. the. time.  it seems the only time we celebrate diversity and chaotic beauty, is when we don’t have to clean up. or bring it home.

unless. we are one of the 5 misfits. of which then, there is no roads to rush across to reach a better brighter place. or which stumbling and waiting and pacing is ok.

we can wait. while your 5 year old brain learns to wait.

we can stop. while you wait for your angry tears to roll over those big feelings

we can be slow, while the race is on.

we. can.

reminds me of the beauty of heart inside Henri Nouwen

he said

We are taught to conceive of development in terms of ongoing increase in human potential. Growing up means becoming healthier, stronger, more intelligent, more mature, and more productive. Consequently, we hide those who do not affirm this myth of progress, such as the elderly, prisoners, and those with mental disabilities. In our society, we consider the upward move the obvious one while treating the poor cases who cannot keep us as sad misfits, people who have deviated from the normal line of progress…

I am not denigrating ambition, nor am I against progress and success.

But true growth is something other than the uncontrolled drive for upward mobility in which making it to the top becomes its own goal and in which ambition no longer serves a wider ideal.

There is a profound difference between the false ambition for power and the true ambition to love and serve. It is the difference between trying to raise ourselves up and trying to lift up our fellow human beings.”

[THE SELFLESS WAY OF CHRIST]