New inspiration from old friends

 

I’ve always loved reading and over the decades I gathered my own little library, filled with books I thought were worth their money.

I love the feel of them, their weight (although I couldn’t live without my kindle) and the constant reminder of the wisdom, adventures, pains and victories of their main characters as they stood silently on the shelf.

When the move to South Africa came up, I decided to let go of 99% of my collection: a tough decision but necessary. I had read them, they had their influence on me, and they taught me what they had to teach. Now it was someone else’s turn to enjoy them. I took only a box or two of books that really had a life changing effect on me, plus all my art books. I may miss the ones left behind, but they are not forgotten.

When we moved from the big home (five bedrooms) to our much smaller, three-bedroom, a cozy cottage-like home, the books that had made the cut were stacked in closets, not seen, or heard, or used.

A while back, I took them all out of hiding. It felt like a reunion with old friends. I realized I made good choices. These remnants of my collection are at the core of who I am right now, of what I stand for, and the stage in life I’m working on right now.

That third stage is all about sharing wisdom that was gathered over half a century, often the hard way, fed and balanced by the wisdom of others who went before me.

Seeing these old friends renewed my interest and inspired me to share their beauty and wisdom. I can’t let that all go to waste on a shelf or in a closet.

Topics  range from the beauty of colour pencil art and trompe l’oeil, aging wisely, writing autobiography, religions, your Self, literature, great painters, fun facts about the Dutch and typical South African trivia, children, enneagrams, Inca’s, nature, light, good books, natural medicine. They show the many facets that shaped my life.

What does your library look like? Who are your old friends?.

Go well!