No Commas

I hate commas!  I know this might be a bit of a strong statement to make, but I have yet to master the art of comma placement.  I understand the importance of commas, but why so many rules and why do these rules change.  Do retired English teachers meet to discuss the usage of commas and how to modify the rules to make our lives a little more challenging or to discourage me and others from writing for fear of inadvertently leaving out a comma?  Do I need any commas in that question?  Commas can confine me with all the rules and uncertainty.

I love my friend Karyn. Yes, this is how I refer to her when talking about her to others, My Friend Karyn. She is a former teacher who hardly ever uses commas, capitalization, or other punctuation in her emails to me, except for points of ellipses and smiley faces, which I think is a new punctuation mark when writing emails and Facebook statuses.   Some of you may be gasping right now.  Others of you may be saying, right on.  I appreciate Karyn for not using punctuation.  Writing to her I have the freedom to just share my heart and my crazy thoughts without fear or worry about being correct.  Not only can I write to Karyn with such freedom, but I can talk to her in the same manner.  She gives me the leeway to be angry, confused, and wrong.  We all need friends like Karyn and I am blessed to have many friends who also don’t care about commas.

  A friend loves at all times, and is born, as is a brother, for adversity.   Proverbs 17:17 (Amplified)

More importantly, I have a Heavenly Father who gives me freedom to not use commas and just share my heart.  

The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their cry... Psalm 34:15

The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles. Psalm 34:17

Sometimes I wonder if he wishes I would use commas (short pauses) or periods (long pauses). : ) Sometimes I wonder if he wishes I would talk more with him.

Today as I think on the good stuff I’m thankful for friends who allow me to speak freely and for a Father whose eyes are on me and whose ears are attentive to me.  And I suppose I’m thankful for commas and retired English teachers.

Go ahead and do it...have a comma free day!