During the month of December I spent time reading My Grandfather’s Blessings by Rachel Naomi Remen. This book is not a single story. It is a hundred stories each with their own message of hope or peace. When I first borrowed this book from a friend the size of it was daunting. Each story was like a shining jewel. I felt like I had to pause and give each my full attention to comprehend it. The result was that I read about five of the stories then I put the book down and didn’t pick it up for over a year. When I picked it up again last month, I realized that it would simply not be possible for me to fully absorb everything Grandfather’s Blessings has to say. I’m not intended to. Instead I read it the way that I read scriptures. I let the stories pass through me, trusting that the things I truly need will stick. It worked.
Some of the stories from My Grandfather’s Blessings were the catalysts which allowed me to see how I needed to shift my life and my thoughts. My focus on seeking bright things instead of dark, holding my plans lightly, and five daily things are all a direct result of thoughts created by stories from this book. I can’t tell you which stories anymore. The details have all washed away, only the pieces I needed have stayed with me so that I can turn them into something new.
One other thought stuck with me after reading this book. This one was definitely attached to the book as a whole rather than any particular story. Just as this book helped me, my book can be exactly the right catalyst for someone else. My book does not have to be perfect or superlative in order to be useful. It merely needs to be the best that I can do. I find great comfort in that thought as I slog through one last necessary revision before sending it out to alpha readers.
Do I recommend My Grandfather’s Blessings? I think that I do, particularly to those who are suffering loss or who are in need of hope. It provided a useful conduit for the inspirations that I needed about my life. I can’t say that it will do the same for everyone. Perhaps it would not have done so for me a year ago when I first picked it up to read it. Perhaps that is why I put it down for so long. I’m ready to give it back. I’ve gleaned from it what I need for now.