Books (by healingdream)
I’ve chosen to start off my journey with a relatively recent favourite which inspired me to change my priorities and reminded me to focus on what is most important in life: Cecelia Ahern ‘s “The Gift”.
Ahern is known for romantic chick-lit fiction with a magical twist. “The Gift” does not disappoint but has so much more going for it than the classic girl meets boy fiction; in fact it arguably has little of the romantic fiction about it.
The plot revolves around the central character, Lou Suffern, who is too busy doing everything to pay attention to anything. Everything in his life is intense, time-consuming and hard-work; something many of us today can empathise with. He spends every day bending the truth to avoid conflict and running from pillar to post to keep all his juggling balls in the air. When he meets a homeless street dweller, Gabe, and gives him a job in the post room of his office, everything changes. Gabe has a strange ability to be in more than two places at once and is more in control of his life than Lou has ever been. Slowly but surely the world as Lou knows it begins to change.
I won’t give away anything more about the plot in case I have inspired you to read this magical story. Suffice to say that there are many little twists and turns and moments of realisation in this wonderfully constructed and beautifully written story. There are enough echoes of Lou’s journey in my own life and in the lives of those I love to make it feel believable. Echoes that have challenged me to make a difference; to treat the here and now with the respect that it deserves.
Ultimately this is a story about what is important, about time-management and about love. When all the pressures of life today mean that love ends up at the bottom of the pile we can know for sure that something, somewhere has gone wrong. This book offers a challenge to us all.
Persuaded? Then get yourself a copy, settle back on a rainy day with a mug of steaming hot chocolate and drift into a world of the magical.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Gift-Cecelia-Ahern/dp/0007284977
“My hope is that from one of the posts in my “Books for the Journey” category you might find one book that touches your heart or challenges you in some way along your own journey through life. If it does, I would love to know about it so please post your thoughts up here. And do add suggestions of books that have encouraged you in return.” from https://hugmore.wordpress.com/2011/06/05/books-for-the-journey/
(Image of “Books” by healing dream – http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/images/view_photog.php?photogid=989 )
hugmore 