RECOMMENDED: BOOKS THAT CHALLENGE, DELIGHT, AND INSPIRE Sue Christian Parsons, Ph.D. Spring 2020: Looking at Ourselves to See What We Can Do Near the end of a long life that saw the turn of a century (almost two of them), wars, epidemics, social unrest and change, and countless personal challenges as well as triumphs--my spunky grandmother penned her memoir. “I am not a writer,” she began, then went on to prove she actually was. When she wrote about struggles, those times when life threw a hard curve and she had to start again in a different way, she repeated this phrase: “So I looked at myself to see what I could do.” My grandmother was a woman of faith, grit, and creativity; she always found a way to thrive. As we support children in the wake of recent big changes, we seek ways to model and teach resilience. As always, one of the best things we can do is look to books. The books in this set offer possibilities for what we can do: Observe the close-up world with fresh, appreciative eyes. Value your people--and say “sorry” when you need to. Explore, wonder, and create. Call out when you need someone. Laugh whenever you can, and be reassured that some things, the best-of-all things, never change. Look Closely Taking Time by Jo Loring-Fisher (2020, Lantana Publishing) When unprecedented global events brought a sudden stop to day-today business, the world changed in unexpected ways. People marveled at an image of a jellyfish undulating in a calm, clear Venetian canal. Seismologists noted a sudden decrease in Earth’s vibrations when we all moved inside to shelter in place. Polluted air enveloping cities began to clear. And the rhythms of our lives slowed a bit as we stood and pondered our next moves. Families came back together, stovetops glowed, people walked more than they drove—and in the calm many noticed treasures they had forgotten--or at least forgotten to look for. Taking Time , obviously penned before the pandemic, is now a particularly timely reminder to readers of all ages to go slowly enough to see life around us. Loring-Fisher’s gentle poetry moves verse by verse across two-page spans. Each page turn reveals a different place with a differently ethnic face, each a loving nod to family and nature. On the final spread, the individuals from throughout the book gather, each carrying a keepsake from their own worlds to share with the broader community. Taking Time is timeless and timely.
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