I Might Be Making a Habit Out of This!

Well, I read another book...and in record time for me. Before I had kids, I would read books all the time, but since having them, I only get to read for a few minutes here and there, but this was a book that I couldn't put down. I loved it! My mother-in-law actually gave this book to me...not once, but twice! So, I figured she REALLY liked it & I ought to read it. Now, I'm recommending it to every woman I know.

Anne Morrow Lindbergh, in case you didn't know, was the wife of Charles Lindbergh. She, like her husband, was an aviator. But she also loved writing too. The book Gift from the Sea is the collection of her thoughts & meditations she had while taking a vacation all by herself. She left her husband, children & entire life behind and spent an entire week by herself in a little beach house (that had no running water or electricity) on the shore. It was written over 50 years ago, but is so applicable to women today. I am convinced that she was a woman before her time. Here's a few of things she talks about that I really liked:

She begins the book by talking about the shape of a woman's life. She talks about the need for women to find peace, solitude & contentment in their lives. She urges women to simplify their lives as much as possible. She encourages women to be their own best friend...& think about themselves a little more. In fact, she says that every woman should schedule time into each day to be alone and meditate. She describes a woman's life as a wheel. The woman is the center of the wheel & all the things that take up her time & energy throughout the day (family, work, friends, housework, callings, etc.) are the spokes. We, as women, try to take on the world. We have a million spokes sticking out of the center of our wheel. Yet, we don't take care of ourselves...so the core of the wheel is not strong. If you have a wheel with a weak core & a lot of spokes, it will fail. But, if you have a wheel with a strong core and fewer spokes, it will be a good strong wheel. That's why she says it is important for us to simplify our lives & give ourselves a little attention everyday. She also describes woman as a pitcher. The entire function of a pitcher is to give water; in the same way that women are natural givers. But, just like the pitcher will eventually run out of water & need to be refilled, she says women need to be refilled too. We can't give what we don't have, and that's why we need to replenish ourselves everyday.

She also talks about the marriage relationship & the evolution it goes through as the two people involved enter different phases of their lives. She encourages women to love and appreciate each stage of a relationship & live in the moment...not the past or the future. She says that too many women enter a relationship and expect the "in love" phase to last forever. Once they have been married for a few years & have a few kids, they look at their life and say, "This is NOT what I signed up for." They think that, since they don't have those same giddy feelings they once had every time their significant other walks into the room, that something must be wrong with the marriage. But, the relationship is the same, just an evolved...and in many ways, better...version of what was started a few years earlier. It's just not appreciated in the same way...but it should be!

The same, she says, is true of aging. We love...and in many ways, worship...youth in our society. But, she talks about the importance of not fighting the aging process...but embracing it and doing it happily & gracefully. It is just another stage in our lives that should be lived in the moment & appreciated. Each cycle of life, just like the cycles of the tide, is valid & should be treated that way. If we fight it, we won't have anytime to appreciate it.

This was such a great book! Every time I sat down to read it, I felt relaxed & rejuvenated. I definitely recommend it...it will make you a better wife, mom & woman! --Lindsay