"Sometimes we need a story more than food to stay alive." - Barry Lopez
I'm sitting in the local library looking over a frozen lake as I work on finishing up a term paper and final to bring a close to this semester of school for me (cue obligatory 'finally'). As I walked in it occurred to me that what I'm thankful for this week has been books. For most of my life they have served as a physical comfort to every situation I've encountered. Anywhere I've lived - it never feels like home until my books are unpacked and living en masse on their shelves. Just looking at the potential escape they offer me makes everything feel a little less stressful or anguished. This week I've noticed not only myself retreating to a book for comfort and retreat, but most of us here have a book or magazine - something to wrap around yourself like a thick cocoon and hide away from what Life really is right now.
Because Life is not always happy and optimistic. I try to see the silver linings of bad situations - and even continue to do that for this stage of my life - however, that doesn't make it any less sad. Being sad and experiencing hard times is a part of living. Sometimes we even read books that will make us sad to help process a very real loss. It is the fact that there is a book or article to fill every need you could have emotionally is what I'm thankful for. If you need to completely escape into some kind of fantasy or separate kind of fictional experience, or bind yourself up in a nonfiction text so that you can lose yourself in new adventure and facts that are far away from everything else in your life... there is a book waiting to console you in your lamentation.
So this week I am thankful for the books. I am thankful for the comfort that an incredibly beautifully written sentence can move you into a different mindset, offering some small measure of contentment or serenity. May you all find the book you're in need of this week. Having finished my book last night, I'll be on the hunt for my next dose of tranquility.
What are you grateful for this week?
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