Sunday, August 26, 2012
The Healing Power of the Book (Club)
Anyway, after going ninety miles an hour with my hair on fire for the last two weeks, I finally had the opportunity to stop and slow down for a little while yesterday while I caught up with my book club. For the last few years, my mother and I have belonged to a book club made up of lifelong friends who have become family. In theory, we meet monthly, and each woman takes a turn choosing a book. Our tastes, like we, are vastly different, so we read all kinds of stuff that we would never see without The Club. We usually meet at someone's house and all bring food and drink that is connected to the book. We go a little crazy in our preparations; the more creative, the better. When we read Arcadia Falls, by Carol Goodman in the early days, Mom helped me pull grapevine out of her yard which I wove into a wreath to put around the outside of the pan of roasted root vegetables that I made to represent the twisted roots that recurred throughout the book. It was awesome, and not even close to the most creative thing there that day!
We eat, drink, laugh, and sometimes even talk about the book. Usually what begins as a discussion of the book ultimately leads to a discussion of life as we know it. When we make it happen, it is sacred time. The Club is made up of two generations of women, some of whom have known each other since birth. Some are working while raising babies and young children, some work and have children who are grown, some have children in The Club, and some have four-legged children. Our beliefs and politics may be different, but when we meet for Book Club, none of that matters. We are friends who let down our hair, kick off our shoes, and have fun for a few hours.
 |
| Delicious Coconut Cocktail |
For our Summer meeting, we read On the Island by Tracey Garvis Graves. It was a quick read about two people who, after a plane crash, learn to survive together on an deserted island. Since we had all been so busy lately, we decided to meet at a beach-themed restaurant. Bahama Breeze, overlooking the water between Tampa and Clearwater, was a fantastic choice! Coconuts featured prominently in the book, so a coconut cocktail was high on my priority list. Theirs was perfect!
 |
| Our fun centerpiece |
 |
| Our Survival Kits |
To help us remember On the Beach, each of us was given a "survival kit" filled with items mentioned in the book that they either missed or managed to find to make it through their time on the island. The thing that they said that they most wanted was a cold Coke over ice, so a little Coke was included for each of us. It was creative and thoughtful, as always.
Possibly the coolest moment of the day came as we were wrapping up. My mom, SandiPaints, looked over my shoulder into Tampa Bay and saw a dolphin playing in the water. Again, dolphins figured prominently in the book. We were all transfixed watching to see the fin pop up again. It was beautiful, and peaceful, and energizing at the same time. For all of us. Just as it should have been.
As the afternoon storm rolled in over the water, our little club parted. But we have already planned our next meetings through March, promising not to let so much time pass again without this wonderful, inspiring connection. I have always known that books have the potential to take me anywhere, to make me feel better. Now I know that sharing these books, and this time, with amazing women has a restorative power all its own.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Very nicely said
ReplyDeleteThanks, Mom!
DeleteThe club sounds amazing.
ReplyDeleteIt really is. Wish you were closer so you could play with us!
DeleteSounds like a great time!
ReplyDeleteOne of the nice things about going back to a routine is it lets us get back to the fun parts of the routine.
And dolphins!!!
Excellent point, Guap.
DeleteAnd dolphins! You gotta love the dolphins!
I agree...perfectly said! I,too, had forgotten how much I love our get-togethers and am really looking forward to September! I love you guys and am so thankful to have each of you in my life, even if we only see each other for a few hours each month.
ReplyDeleteAnd now to you I will say perfectly said,
DeleteThanks for being one of the great treasures of my life.