Day 14 - a non-fictional book

I recently, and by that I mean - in the last 13 months since baby boo was born, read The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls. It was a case of truth is stranger than fiction! A good read though, captivated me and kept me reading despite the sleep deprivation and the amount of housework piling up while caring for my dear LO.

I grew up in the country without much in the way of worldly possessions. Sure I had a bucket of Barbies to call my own but I didn't have the trendy toys like a Cabbage Patch Kid, and for all intents and purposes we were "latch key kids" coming home after school while my parents still worked. I learned to cook dinner and do the laundry at a young age and on Saturday mornings while my parents worked (they owned their own business that was open 9-12 on Saturdays) we had a list of chores to do - clean house, feed the chickens, collect eggs, cut the grass, etc. But we certainly didn't grow up in poverty or neglect. Jeanette's story is not just of poverty and poor parenting style, but of survival...of flight or fight...she was a fighter. She took what was handed her - Nothing! - and turned it into something. She not only survived but made something of her self.

I believe the driving force of her success is her ability to forgive and ever be the optimist. These are two characteristics that I highly value and do my best to posses and utilize in my life. Without these two driving forces she would have found herself sucked into the crazy, emotional, substance dependent world her parents enveloped her in. She was able to forgive her parents for their neglect, and selfishness and believe in the possibility that dreams can and will come true, that there is a silver lining.

Beleiving that things can and will get better is something that I hold onto dearly, no matter what challenge comes my way, I understand that I can grow from it if I embrace it rather than run away from it or let it get me down. Believing that the cup is half full keeps me from focusing on what is missing. Some people call it faith, others optimism...I just call it life and choosing to live it.

Jeanette's story is powerful, moving and entertaining. As I said in the beginning, there are times when life is stranger than fiction and hers certainly fits that bill! Between her mother's apathetic attitude towards, well, being a mother and her father's genius but un-executed schemes there is no shortage of WTF moments. A worthy read for sure!