I've been in recuperation mode for a while now and reading is always one of my mainstays (even when I'm not recuperating!) So here are three books I've enjoyed for quite different reasons over that time.
I heard a Radio NZ interview with Russ Harris some time ago and requested
The Reality Slap from the library at the time. In that synchronistic way life has - it arrived as I was coping with less health, energy and confidence than usual.
It is an excellent book that covers many things other authors have said e.g. re living in the present moment, mindfulness, dealing with anxiety, illness or personal loss. But what I specially liked was its down to earth, very practical and applicable strategies. Russ is living with his own "reality slap" as his child at age two was diagnosed as autistic. He talks very personally about how he coped (and didn't cope) at various points. This is book I will buy to re-read and have on hand to lend. Click
here for more about the book and
here for a link for the Radio NZ interview.
Zeitoun is the true story of a Muslim family in the aftermath of Cyclone Katrina. It is a gripping and disturbing story.
Dave Eggers is an author committed to telling true stories that need to be heard. This one reveals the growing horror as the enormity of Katrina's effects became apparent. It covers the inadequate responses of so many government and supposed relief agencies. But the most revealing thing for me as I read was how prejudice against Muslims impacted Zeitoun himself - a well known and loyal Syrian immigrant who had served his community faithfully for many years. While everyone in this immediate family survived, the long term effects continue. It is a sobering reminder of how easily prejudice and fear combine to create terrible, and unnecessary suffering.
I have mentioned
Psalms for Praying previously. I am still reading and praying a Psalm each day. (Up to Psalm 90 today!) I find Nan Merrill's way of making each Psalm relevant to the internal journey as much as to any external circumstances very helpful. Here are some quotes from Psalm 90 that would be lovely to read at a funeral:
When our days on earth are ended,
You welcome us home to your Heart,
to the City of Light,
where time is eternal
and days are not numbered.
You gather those who love you as
friends returning from a long
journey,
giving rest to their souls.
You anoint them with the balm of understanding,
healing the woulds of the past.
