Books As Medicine - For Days Like This

October 13, 2010

"Mama said there’d be days like this." This song lyric from The Shirelles's song, Mama Said, comes to my mind whenever I’m having a rough day. I also remember the end of one of my favorite books from when I was young, Judith Viorst’s Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. After a string of awful events, Alexander concludes "My mom says some days are like that. Even in Australia."

I was feeling kind of blue and wanted to regain a sense of inner-calm. So, with 1960's voices chirping "Mama said, Mama said!" in my mind, I shuffled down the aisle that holds the Liberty Branch's meditation books and scanned the spines. When a book caught my attention, I flipped through some pages and read a paragraph or two. Then, I repeated this process and discovered more books to help transform my day. The images, like a forest path, a lotus, and a ripple of water, allowed me to become more serene. The affirmations made me feel more centered.

The following are some books that I found helpful and hope you will too!

Meditation: Simple Steps to Peace, Well-Being and Contentment by John Hudson

Silver Linings: Meditations on Finding Joy and Beauty in Unexpected Places by Mina Parker

Meditation to Go by Christina Rodenbeck

What Doesn’t Kill You Makes You Stronger: Turning Bad Breaks Into Blessings by Maxine Schnall

Anna F.G.
Liberty Branch