My second review for MotherTalk.

The Right Words at the Right Time:
Volume 2: Your Turn!
edited by Marlo Thomas

“Thank you.”

“Incest.”

“Don’t be an asshole.”

These are just a few “words that made a difference” as described by a variety of folks in Marlo Thomas’s latest book. It is a followup to The Right Words at the Right Time, which includes stories from celebrities. I hesitate to call the people in this latest book ordinary; many are quite extraordinary, including folks who have persevered in some very trying circumstances. There are plenty of stories about people fighting breast cancer or facing garden-variety life decisions, but I was particularly touched by the stories of people overcoming serious addictions and individuals who were or are in prison; their experience is so different from mine, yet very articulately described. Some stories are happily-ever-after; others have more indeterminate endings. I found myself drawn to the latter. In those cases the right words didn’t so much provide the key to all mysteries so much as provide manna for another day.

As a preacher, I have a professional interest in the topic of words that transform lives. As a pastor, I love overhearing people tell stories that are sacred to them. As a poet, I was drawn to the pieces about people who were addressed by lines of poems. But what struck me in reading this book was how often the “right words at the right time” didn’t seem to me particularly profound. And yet they made all the difference to the hearers. And perhaps that’s the point: it’s the right words at the right time. It’s like that old adage, “When the student is ready, the teacher appears.” For whatever reason—some might call it a gift of grace—one person meets and sees another and offers just what is needed. So perhaps it’s not the elegance of our words, but the authenticity of the encounter mixed with providential timing.

I had thought this book might provide some sermon stories. It didn’t, partly because I’m not a big Insert Illustration Here! kind of preacher. What it did do is cause me to reflect on the right words that I have received over the years…

“No man would sell himself short for a woman. Don’t you do it either.” —Dad
“I’ll be behind those trees!” —Mamala
“C’mon, let’s go get a sno-bizz.” —R

And I think one of the book’s strengths is that it can sharpen our ability to be aware of those pivotal words and moments when they happen, rather than let them pass us by.

One note in closing: This is a book in the tradition of Kitchen Table Wisdom and the Chicken Soup series, though I thought this book was stronger than the CS books I’ve read. I say this because if you don’t like those kinds of books, this book isn’t for you. If you do, however, this one is worth checking out. It’s also for a good cause: all royalties benefit St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.