Small Things: Reflections on Faith and Hope
By Gerry Turcotte
Novalis Publishing; 2016
Review by Laura Locke
Dr. Gerry Turcotte is the President of St. Mary’s University in Calgary, a prolific writer, and the recipient of an impressive list of honours, including the Governor General’s International Award for Canadian Studies. One might easily say that he has many “large” accomplishments to celebrate. However, as Turcotte conveys in his latest book, it’s the small things in life that can offer us the most important gifts.
Organized as a series of weekly reflections to span a year of reading, this collection of short essays is both perceptive and engaging. Turcotte unpacks his own life, often in very personal ways, to share the ordinary moments and unexpected surprises that have brought flashes of wisdom. As I read through the book, I started “dog-earing” the pages that really struck a chord with me, or that I wanted to re-visit and ponder. As I finished the book, it was revealing to notice that a very large number of the pages were dog-eared! Many of Turcotte’s insights resonate deeply in my own life… and I’m sure will in yours.
There is a lot of humour in the book as well, that mostly stems from Turcotte’s self-deprecating way of admitting his own mistakes, disappointments and fears. He also includes inspiring and poignant stories about students, teachers, family members and other people that he’s encountered. Some of my favourite essays feature glimpses into his childhood. One bittersweet story that brought tears to my eyes (and there were many) was about his conflicted feelings whenever his mother “intervened” in a problem he was having at school. Her ferocious love was both comforting and mortifying. At the end of the essay he talks about how much he still misses his mother: “What I wouldn’t give to hear her utter what were the five most frightening words she ever said to me: “I’ll take care of it.”’
As an educator myself, I love his stories about the joys and challenges of teaching, and the importance of encouraging students to go beyond learning facts and figures to become “fully-souled” individuals who “dare to fail”. As an editor and writer, I revel in Turcotte’s love for words, which is wonderfully evident in his essays about unfortunate “mishaps” in the wording of emails, church signs and parish bulletins, not to mention his reflections on favourite books, figures of speech, malapropisms and metaphors.There are also many great quotes sprinkled throughout.
All of this is framed in Turcotte’s faith: his search for the presence of God in everyday moments; his joy in exploring how Scripture can shed new light on both our good and not-so-good experiences; and his growing sense of the significance of community in our lives. This book’s gift to all of us is a new appreciation for the beauty and glory of “small things”.
Dr. Gerry Turcotte
