A Story of Love, Loss, & the Power of Books
Photo Credit: @syinq
Growing up, books were always a huge part of my life. From the moment I discovered Beverly Cleary in the fourth grade, I was hooked. Her books transported me to different worlds and allowed me to escape from the sometimes harsh realities of my own life. As I got older and life became more complicated, my love for books never waned. However, the responsibilities of adulthood often got in the way, especially once my children were born. And, I found myself only reading a few books a year, if I was lucky… a far cry from the voracious reader I once was.
That all changed when I started working for a company that shall remain nameless. There, I met someone who listened to books while she worked. At first, I thought it was a strange concept. How could someone absorb a book while also doing their job? Because it wasn’t music that could fade into the background like the theme songs of our lives. Instead, it’s a book that you would want to understand and take in every detail. But I decided to give it a try because I had missed books more than anything else pre-children, even more than sleep, and it completely changed my life.
Now, I'm an avid book listener, able to "read" four to five books a month. I've discovered that the key is to listen to books during moments when I can focus solely on the story, like when I'm folding laundry or exercising. So while it started at my job, that quickly went back into music but I understood that this new method of reading was entirely possible to add to my life.
But it's not just the ability to consume more books that have changed my life. It's the way that books have helped me navigate through the ups and downs of life. When times are tough, I find solace in getting lost in a good book. And when I'm feeling down, I turn to stories about strong women characters who inspire me to be braver in my own life. Books have taught me so much about life and about myself. They've allowed me to see the world from different perspectives and to connect with characters in a way that I never thought possible. I've laughed with them, cried with them, and learned valuable lessons from them.
In a world where it's easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of everyday life, books offer a chance to slow down and reflect. They allow us to take a step back and see the bigger picture, to connect with something greater than ourselves.
So if you're like me and struggling to find time for reading, I urge you to give audiobooks a try.
It may just change your life.
