This morning started quietly, as it always does. The world was still dark outside my window, a thin trail of steam rising from my cappuccino on the table in front of me. I sat there, half-planning my day, half-drifting into my thoughts – the way daydreamers often do. How much my life has changed, I thought. Compared to where I was last year. Five years ago. Ten years ago. It hasn’t been long since I was laid off from what I thought would be my forever career. I had been facing the very real possibility of losing my home – a humble little apartment with a very cozy and comfortable setup. I rarely think of that season now; I suppose I could call that a blessing. Life shifted so quickly, sometimes I hardly believe the difference a year can make. Not much time has passed since I was balancing work, worry, and exhaustion, unsure how to keep my head above water. Now, my mornings look very different.
Today is Wednesday. In thirty minutes I should be waking up my children to get ready for school, but one of them has developed a bad eye overnight. Life is better these days though than the way it used to be. How nice it is now that I need not choose between working to make a full paycheck and staying home to care for my sick child! A year ago, I had met someone, fallen in love, gotten married, and retired – all within three whirlwind months. Now, my mornings are slow and intentional. My days are now mine to do with as I please. Today, that looks like staying home with my children, reading our library books together.
Books have always been a central part of my life. As a young child first learning how to read, they were curiosities – tiny, magical windows into worlds I didn’t yet understand. I remember walking through the library, overwhelmed by the endless shelves, wondering how anyone ever managed to choose from the seemingly more endless amount of books available. I gravitated toward craft and art books, which included DIY pipe cleaner animals, calligraphy for beginners, and “how-to-draw” books (dragons were my specialty). My first chapter books were Junie B. Jones which gave way to Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, and other beloved series. In high school, my small school library became my favorite place to be. Those years were when my taste began to truly take shape – leaning toward contemporary YA and, over time, blossoming into the style of literature I love today.
If you were to look at my current bookshelf, you’d see my life story lined up on its shelves. Bibles and devotionals reveal the faith that has carried me through a difficult journey. My collection of classical literature and journals reflect my love of delicate prose and deep study. A shelf full of fiction and fantasy – alongside my complete collection of Mitch Albom’s works – shows how faith and contemporary storytelling have found each other in my heart. And finally, rows of children’s books symbolize the family I am growing and love so much. My life story on a single bookshelf.
Books have always been friends to me, especially growing up. They transported me, filled me with happiness, and gave me hope in an otherwise joyless life. Such is the power of the written word. How else would someone be able to recognize a positive thing while not knowing if they’d even survive til the next day? Stories were parents when mine weren’t there, friends when I didn’t have any, and a home when I was without one. Alongside school, books were my safe place. In a good story, I felt loved. But I suppose love for the reader is exactly what is intended when a book stimulates the heart and the imagination. It seemed evident, at least for me. So began my passion for reading and study.
In adolescence, literature kept me company – but in adulthood it guided me. Through motherhood, homelessness, and finding love, the Bible was my biggest source of inspiration. Scripture taught me a lot about peace, grace, and free will. As a young adult with her soul crushed, I found it empowering. Around that time, I rediscovered Mitch Albom through his book The Stranger in the Lifeboat. This story resonated with me in a profound way. After finishing it, I went, crying and hopeful, to buy everything with Mitch Albom’s name on it that I could find at my city’s Barnes and Noble. That was when my relationship with reading and studying had evolved from escaping to reflecting – growing despite the circumstances.
It’s been almost six years of growth since then, and after finding love and creating a life I never thought was possible for me, I am called to give back. So here is where I will be paying my respect to the stories that have shaped me. Here is where I will share them, and hopefully help others discover stories that will shape them too. Here is where someone may stumble across a review and find a story that brings them the same comfort, joy, or spark of hope that so many books have given me. So, everyday, I wake up at 5:30 AM, pour myself a cappuccino, and think, “How might I reach someone new today?”
From my bookshelf to yours!
Paige Turner
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