The Right Book

Happy Book Lover’s Day, Everyone. I wrote this post a couple of days ago but it sat here waiting for…something. Now I know what it was. Book lovers day.

Very old bunny with old books in old ladies house.

We had blessed rain for the first time in over a month. It wasn’t very much but I went on my front porch to observe and express my gratitude. There would be no walk that morning (maybe later) so I had a few moments before my daughter got up to make her breakfast, read our lesson from Pam Grouts version of the Course in Miracles to grab the original version and read it from there. The original is a hard slog to comprehend but I like to compare the points of view.

While I was pulling the book off the shelf, I noticed another that seemed out of place. It looked unread. Hmmm. I pulled it off the shelf and saw that it was a small Chicken Soup for the Soul book. Where did that come from and when did I buy it? Inside the cover said it was copyrighted in 2012. It appeared to not have been read. As I looked through the table of contents, I realized that I needed this book NOW. It was meant for me to read it at this time.

I think I planned to donate it so it hid.

This happens to me a lot. I will peruse the bookstore and a book will stand out, sending a signal that it needs to go home with me. Some of you will understand this and those who don’t will know my varied therapist has verified that I’m not certifiable. Books call to me and often I don’t get to them right away but when the time comes, they wave again or jump to a different place so I notice them.

Our public library has been closed for months now so I’m grateful to have a stash of my own, no longer needing to apologize for hoarding books. That was the plan all along. Right? That’s my story and I’m sticking to it. Our library doesn’t have all the books I want to read most of the time and I’m a very slow reader. I usually have to renew the book or pay fines. My library at home is substantial and when the moment it right, the book appears.

I have given away so much of my personal library because I needed to make room in my home for other family members to shoehorn their things in while living with me. I love my family but I miss those books. Looking for one I know was on my shelves a year ago and not finding when I wanted to read it made me realize that very few will wander out of my door again. People ask what was my favorite book. I honestly can’t answer that question. Each has value in its own time. Some have resonated so deeply that I purchased two or three copies.

P. S. I found a red dot on the spine while I was reading this Chicken Soup book that I place on some of my books to indicate they have been read. Another blessing of old age. I can read an old book and it’s brand new to me again. 

During one of my many moves, I gave away my copy of Rachel Naomi Remen’s Kitchen Table Wisdom. I regret it every time I see the title. It’s a staple reference book. Silly me. I think I’ll get another copy gently used.

Some books are worth reading often. This is one.

‘A house without books is like a room without windows’ ~Horace Mann

Do you keep a stash of books for emergencies like pandemics or rely on your library?

From my heart to yours,

Marlene Herself