I have recently read a collection of letters and journals entries of Anne Morrow Lindbergh. It is a new publication using materializes from the years of 1947- 1986, basically her age from 40 though 80. The book is titled AGAINST WIND AND TIDE.
I have always found her writing to be thoughtful and well written but this book gives a chance to see how an individual grows and changes over a life time. As a wife, a mother and a writer she explores which demands she focuses on and writes of her successful or failures as the years go by. Anne Lindbergh always though of herself as a creative person and a writer in equal part to the role of wife and mother.
Charlie, her husband, the record now shows had numerous lady friends and fathered seven other children while having two relationships in Germany with two sisters. I read this book and there is not a hint of these events but there is a sense that he is gone more than he is home. I conclude in the end that it is not that he is running from this marriage but it is his nature of restlessness and his need for movement that keeps him from any settled home life. The letters over the years show that Anne becomes more interested in Charles as an editor to her work than a companion to her daily life. In the reality of life, she finds companionship with others and learns to enjoy being alone.
In the course of reading the book there are examples of how to write a thoughtful letter for each of life's tragedies, comforting letters, long letters of encouragement for young people in doubt of their own worth or abilities or going though misfortune. Her journal entries explores her feeling about unwanted pregnancies, endless demands of being famous and how to find that balance. The book ends as she is facing the loneliness of widowhood.
Half way though the book, I read sentences that something made me stop and reread them, then I started to write some down. Some examples are "her efficiency in too many ways tempts her in too many things"... or this one describing a gathering of people "everyone is in a honeymoon stage of excitement over each other" . Another example is "she just seems to have a music box playing in her all the time--very happy". My favorite " I feel I am wading through molasses, I do it so inefficiently and slowly. " This last one, about molasses, is the current period on my life.
After knowing the clear, hard fact about this woman and her marriage, the surface question would be why did she continue to stay married, my conclusion, they had a very deep respect for each other. They shared fame, tragedies and the early experiences of flying together, these formed a bond that carried them for a lifetime. In the end this shows, Anne keep Charles's secret about his terminally ill condition from everyone, as he wanted it. Charles planned out each and every detail about his finial year and days, they spend much of the last year together. He choice to be buried before the world knew of his death. No one explains the pain of being famous better than Ann has in this book.
This collection includes a copy of a speech she delivered at the Cosmopolitan Club, the topic was, ' Tasks at the End of Life'. Anne Lindbergh up in her years, suggested that life is like the game of musical chairs. "Life is full of starts and stops, stumbles and jerks, and suddenly confused by standstills." The speech goes on, how at times in life, we are confident about who we are and then they are times we stand alone. The periods of no movement at all, movement of panic, moments of insight and renew, they are all there, over a life time.
Lindbergh then continues the speech with her place, at that moment, of living alone and being a widow. She closes with the beauty of quoting poetry and reaching for the meaning of what life is about for her. The pure joy of the simplest things has the most meaning to her and she writes it so elegantly that for the rest of us, it is a piece we can reflect on and treasure.
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