Love in a Paper Bag

Book excerpt: I am an Australian girl. I thought my life would be ordinary. It has unfolded in front of me more like the 'whoosh' as you drag your luggage through the circular revolving doors at the airport. All possibilities from there on are exciting, but you never quite know where you might land. Surprises of joy have carried me, nourished me, sustained me, given me courage. Other surprises have left me chastened and gasping, with a newly birthed compassion and empathy for those who have experienced similar. From Melbourne to Vancouver, Chicago to Beverly Farms, Salem to Providence to Fall River, Sydney to California, and back to Melbourne, life has brought to me, gifts of love. A solo drive across the USA post-9/11 is part of the warp and weft of my life, as I have begun again and again to learn the unforced rhythms of grace.