Plot Points #7 💌

Swooning, celebrating, and searching for life

Happy Friday!

I told you in my last Plot Points that there would be much swooning after our trip to Boston over the weekend. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

BEHOLD: my love for books, history, and sappy moments all wrapped into one single weekend and—now, for your reading pleasure—email.

My friend Olivia married her husband (!) Bryce at a beautiful old Episcopal Church in historic Boston on Saturday. It was one of the sweetest weddings I’ve ever attended, not least of all because Olivia and Bryce are two of the loveliest people known to man. I cried when she walked down the aisle. I cried when she danced with her father to Taylor Swift’s “The Best Day” and then cried again when I looked at her mama watching them dance. I got to dress up in a gorgeous gown and take silly photos with women who used to be girls I led in high school ministry and now have the pleasure of calling my friends. Y’all know I love a full-circle moment, and this was one of the best kind. Olivia and I even recreated the first photo we ever took together, back when she was a high school freshman and I was an almost-thirty year old completely stoked that a high-schooler wanted to take a picture with me:

How It Started vs.

How It’s Going

On Friday, Pierce and I walked the entire Freedom Trail through historic Boston. I gasped more times than I can count about the breadth of history set before us, particularly at the cemetery where John Hancock, Samuel Adams, and Paul Revere were buried, as well as the Old South Meeting House where the Boston Tea Party was planned. (A building that was saved in 1877 by “twenty women of Boston,” because of course it was.) I had zero chill, you guys.

Naturally, the best part of our tour was the Boston Public Library. I got choked up when we entered the Bates reading room—an experience second only to seeing the Library of Congress. Let’s just say I experienced a lot of emotions running out of my eyeballs this weekend, and I’m totally fine with that.

Also, A CARD CATALOG. With GENEALOGIES. And books about my family’s clan with titles like The Barclays of New York: Who They Are and Who They Are Not—And Some Other Barclays. Ah, yes, those other Barclays. Don’t know them.

In the end, all googly-eyed from history and romance, I told Pierce I could happily live in Boston. To this he flatly replied “Winter” and I decided instead that a weekend visit would suit me just fine.

So there you have it. Swoon, as promised.

Point #1: Things are not as bad as they might appear.

This piece from the New York Times uses facts about our memories to offer hope about the reality of our world, while also leaving off with this poignant caution: “As long as we believe [things are worse than they are], we are susceptible to the promises of aspiring autocrats who claim they can return us to a golden age that exists in the only place a golden age has ever existed: our imaginations.”

Point #2: I’m really glad to be Anglican.

If you don’t know much about how the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) has influenced broader evangelicalism, this piece from Katelyn Beaty is a big eye-opener. The history of the SBC, especially in terms of how male headship has become such a no-compromise issue, makes me grateful to be a part of a tradition where female leadership is celebrated.

Point #3: People’s lives have value, even if you judge them ridiculous.

The Titan submersible tragedy just completely breaks my heart, especially as someone who has spent her entire life deeply invested in the story of the Titanic. We can discuss the wisdom—or lack thereof—of such a venture without diminishing the lives of those who died, and as Christians must strive to be especially considerate of our words.

Point #4: Boredom is a gift.

I loved this piece about the benefits of letting our kids be bored! Boredom stirs creativity and allows for children to learn so many beautiful life skills. (Including the value of quiet time, hallelujah.)

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Reading In The Nook

Inspired by our trip through American history, I picked up Cloaked in Courage: Uncovering Deborah Sampson, Patriot Soldier by Beth Anderson for the kids at the library. It’s a story of a woman whose bravery and courage, though largely forgotten to most classrooms and monuments, is just as inspiring as that of the men whose names we know by heart.

On my own time, I’m enjoying The Overdue Life of Amy Byler by Kelly Harms, which someone dropped off in our little free library. It’s sweet, fun, and mostly forgettable, which is sometimes what you need, right?

Next on my TBR is Weyward by Emilia Hart, a much-needed dip back into fantasy with a story of magical mystery weaving through the lives of three women across five centuries. Really excited about this one!

P.S. Here’s an interactive list of 47 great summer reads, in case you need it.

“What is stronger than the human heart, which shatters over and over and still lives?”
― Rupi Kaur —

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