"Everything I ever let go of has claw marks on it." --Anne Lamott

I just read this on my friend Anna's blog and it strikes me. It is so appropriate in my life right now--- things I want desperately to let go of, or must, or have been forced to let go of. Claw marks. Anna looked at this quote and thought of the way we inevitably damage - in some way - the ones we love. I agree, but I felt right away also the tightness with which we hold on: to people, to ideas, to habits, to dreams.... Either way, no matter what, there's pain. We hold something so close, and when it's suddenly snatched away, of course there will be marks; we've tried so desperately to keep it. It's hard to let go. But what a beautiful way to say it. I do love this woman. The same woman who, in Bird by Bird, has a chapter called "Shitty First Drafts". Thank you, Anne Lamott, for one more reason to plug away at my thesis!

"For me and most of the other writers I know, writing is not rapturous. In fact, the only way I can get anything written at all is to write really, really shitty first drafts."

Please excuse the expletive, but it really does kind of complete the sentiment, doesn't it?!