Feb
The Garden of Books
A book is like a garden carried in the pocket. -Chinese proverb.
I recently posted about the quest for my personal Eat Pray Love experience. I immediately knew what I didn’t want. It was easy to cross eating off the list of potential cathartic and life-changing experiences I was searching for. I may still fit into a size 4 or 6 (depending on the brand) but I can still pinch an inch. The other day when I treated myself to a birthday pedi the lady asked me how far along I was. As in, she thought there must be a baby snuggled under my paunch.
(I know you want to know how that went down. I looked at her and said, “Not pregnant. I have an 18 month-old. I just need to lose the weight.” She apologized. Yes, she was embarrassed and so was I. I actually did still tip her a normal amount but I sure hope she’s learned her lesson.)
So, suffice it to say, I’m not thinking about how to eat more pasta. It struck me that there is a different kind of nourishment that I’ve been missing lately. Something I usually allow myself to indulge in sparingly because there’s never enough time in a day.
This thing I’m talking about is words. I love words. I’d go as far as to say that words nourish my soul and reading is like smelling a flower.
Shakespeare was the pink lily of my maudlin teenage years. Then I found the orchids Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Elizabeth George, and the Belladonnas King, Koontz, and Poe. Next there was V.C. Andrews, the moonflower, the lotus of Alice Adams, the petunia of F. Scott Fitzgerald, and the periwinkles Sylvia Plath and Anne Sexton. In my 20s I developed an enduring passion for the gentle violet of Anne Tyler and the red rose of e.e. cummings.
The books I have read are far greater than flat and lifeless words on a page. They become entwined with my history and present. My husband says he knew for sure he was in love with me the day he called on his way home from work to share the sunset with me and I immediately recited cummings’ poem from memory:
“who are you, little i
(five or six years old)
peering from some high
window;at the gold
of November sunset
(and feeling:that if day
has to become night
this is a beautiful way)
We wove Shakespeare’s words into our wedding vows. Lucas quoted Lucentio from The Taming of the Shrew: “I burn, I pine, I perish.” For my part, I began with Dr. Seuss (“You know you’re in love when you can’t fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams”) and ended with Hamlet: “Doubt thou the stars are fire; doubt that the sun doth move; doubt truth to be a liar; but never doubt that I love.”
And, when I encounter a bad driver, almost daily in Phoenix, I can’t help but recall the moment in “The Great Gatsby” where Nick and Jordan discuss her reckless driving. I can hear Nick asking her, “Suppose you meet someone just as careless as yourself?”
So, this was one answer in my self-discovery journey, percolating for years just under the surface, ready to reveal itself as soon as I was listening. I want to read. Not as in the hobby of reading a book or two a week. I want to read because it’s not just what I do, it’s part of who I am.
I love how you gave all these great authors their own flowers! Love the opening quote and the picture too! Great sentiments and a great post!
I had Shakespeare where the gospel should have been a my wedding! Love this proverb.
@Lisa, I love the picture too. I knew it was perfect for this post when I saw it.
@Andrea, Sounds like you had a wedding I would have enjoyed
Beautiful post! So true about the, “reading is like smelling a flower”.
Thrilled that you found me on SITS! Hope you’ll be back.
I had just given birth to my first child and was walking the hallways of the hospital with Husband when someone came out of the elevator and said, “Oh! you must be due any minute!” Thus the beginning of motherhood!
Yes, it is just about trying to comfort yourself. I try to reach for a cup of warm tea and snuggle on the couch when I feel like I need to comfort myself, rather than reaching for food or wine.
Now I am going to have to go sit down and read. Such a beautiful post. And so true. For me, reading not only opens doors to the world, it opens the door to my soul. Nothing compares to a good book.
Thanks for your comment on Family Volley. Good luck with the cheer leading. The competitive sports, Oy Vay.
Hi, I just wanted you to know that I am visiting via the “Facebook Like you Back” promo. I am a fan of your Facebook page and hope that you will visit mine and “like me back”!!!
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@Kristy, I couldn’t agree more! We should always try to reach for something constructive instead of destructive when we need comforting.
@Heather, Aww, thanks for the sweet words. I second your sentiment: nothing compares to a good book.
@Crystal, Sure did. Bloggy women gotta stick together, right?
My daughter and I are the same way… she more than I, I think. She does not go anywhere without a good book. She also travels with a notebook and pen, and is always writing. Even as a 3 year old, she loved to sit at the computer with a book propped up in front of her, copying it… one letter at a time. It’s precious!
Love the post and really love the flower
Books have always been a big part of my life!
http://www.pampersandpinot.com
Wow, I love how you gave authors their own flower symbolism!! And I love the quotes from your wedding…they are amazing!!!
XO
Haven’t seen you on the blogosphere lately – hope everything’s going okay! Just wanted to let you know you are missed!