The Books Just Won’t Go Away!

Every time I muster the energy to start going through my 1500 book plus library thinking about which ones I can start getting rid of I seem to run into a book I just am not ready to let go of.  Usually it is one I had forgotten was on the shelf.  Today, that happened to me.  I reached toward the top shelf where a number of paperback “character development” books were located and the first one I pulled off was, The Book of Qualities, by J Ruth Gendler (Perennial Library).

As I opened the book to peruse the contents I was struck by the fact that it was given to me in 1988 by a good friend and associate at Unity Church of Bellevue, Shirley Starr.  It was shortly after my stepfather had died in an automobile accident and it was Shirley’s way of providing comfort, insight and peace.

It is amazing to me how these serendipitous moments occur in my life.   There is ALWAYS something that shows up at just the right moment!  Sometimes I do not know it is the RIGHT moment until after it happens.  But this was definitely one of those special moments.

I immediately contacted the Unity Church and asked them to please forward my request to contact her.  I wanted to let her know that her gift renewed itself for me today and I am so grateful. 

Now I am wondering all over again if I should just give up on trying to let go of my books!  I have boxes that I started sorting books into months ago.  The last time I looked in those boxes there were clumps of dust in them.  This will give you some idea of how urgent this process is.

	*  *  *

 

Returning to the bookshelf the next book I took down was, Today I Will Nourish My Inner Martyr, by Ann Thornbill & Sara Wells, (Prima Publishing).  I don’t know what to tell you.  Of course, this is a totally different type of book that provides a different kind of comfort.  It is the comfort that comes of feeling like a Martyr.  Just quickly looking at it I thought of a number of different reasons for keeping this book too.  (See how difficult I can make getting rid of books?)

 

Here is just one quick example:

My self-doubts are actually perceptive insights, not the baseless worries that my therapist tries to trick me into believing.

Then there is this one:

Today, Instead of taking a nap I will lie in bed and make a mental list of all my shortcomings.

Okay, neither of these quotes reflects my true thoughts, but that is the point, I think, about why they exist.  I cannot read these and not be reminded about the power of our thoughts.  I think you will see me quoting more of these from time to time.  Now I think I’ll take a nap!