In A Stack...Report # 6 & I'm BACK!

Hello, fellow bloggers; I'm back! After spending three weeks clearing out my grandmother's house it is GOOD to be home!

While I was away I did some leisure reading before bedtime. Today I want to share a summary of a book with you that I have a feeling had a much greater impact on me than I actually realize.

The Walk has piqued my interest in a new series by Richard Paul Evans. The author paints a vivid picture of main character, Alan Christoffersen's, loss. If you have ever experienced a time of great loss in your own life, then Alan's emotional responses will more than likely resonate with you.

At a time when survival is a choice, Alan chooses to take a walk. He packs up the essentials and leaves Seattle to begin his journey to the farthest point on his map: Key West, Florida.

The Walk lays the foundation for this new book series. The journey begins by first crossing Washington state where many interesting characters emerge along the way. This book is chock full of great quotes written in Alan's diary. There are many paragraphs throughout where I mused, "I want to come back and think about this!" The quote that opens chapter three continues to resonate with me.

"The assumption of time is one of humanity's greatest follies. We tell ourselves that there's always tomorrow, when we can no more predict tomorrow than we can the weather. Procrastination is the thief of dreams." Alan Christoffersen's diary

Alan's wife implores him to LIVE! I'm reading this book at a time of heartache and great emotion. When you go through a loved ones possessions you think about their life and you also think about the life you're living. What will you leave behind? What will matter to those who inherit your stuff? What does your stuff say about you and your priorities?

My behavior has changed since returning home. I don't really even know if my family has noticed; I imagine my husband has, but I want to LIVE! Daily life is full of routine, but are you ALIVE while living it? Do you look for beauty in the minutia? Do you stop and take the time to truly express your love? Did you allow the interruption so the needy person knows you care more about them than about what they interrupted?

I'm tired of being afraid of what others will think of me so I bought a bright shirt and wore it to church.

I'm tired of being overwhelmed by the daily tasks that are always there so I do what I can and let the messy living room go one more day.

I'm tired of being tired so I worked out at the gym and followed it up by swimming laps at the local pool. Tonight is yoga with a friend.

I'm tired of not getting out of the house because I'm just too lazy so I took my girls to the library at night.

I'm tired of letting the to-do lists run my life so I have shared intimately with my husband more since coming home. I've stopped to read books to my girls and to watch tv WITH them! I've played games with my big kids and husband.

I've tried to ENJOY my family. We don't have that much time left where we'll be a family of six with a junior in college and a senior in high school. Things will change dramatically in the next few years. I want to ENJOY them all right now. Just as the quote admonishes, tomorrow is no guarantee.

Well, I hope that didn't feel like a sermon. It's just been what's been going through my thoughts these past few days.

Back to the summary: I enjoyed this book. Could ya' tell? It made me want to visit the small towns of Washington and maybe even take a long walk...just not to Florida! :)

I hope you'll go LIVE today and enjoy it!