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You are here: Home / Mama's Corner / THE Must-Read Book for Women

THE Must-Read Book for Women

By Shannen Espelien 9 Comments

THE Must Read Book for Women - www.MiddleWayMom.com
This year has been tough. Really tough. As each month ticks away, I’ve been more drained and falling further behind. There’s a used curriculum sale to organize, homeschool group to think about, high school work to grade, Biology assignments to send out, and the countless places we drive to each week: fencing, preschool, Biology, writing class. Whew!

I’ve started wondering if this is normal, and how everyone manages to keep on top of it all. Then I started reading Gift From the Sea. Oh my word. This book has changed my outlook on life. Not kidding.

I think many moms, especially homeschool moms, start feeling this drained feeling as the winter closes. We’re just holding on to the handrails of life, just waiting for this school year to be over. But why? Why is this the cycle each year?

There has to be a way to get off this roller coaster of homeschooling life and take a more calm and collected approach. There has to be a way to walk through the parkway of life, take in the scenery, and still live a relatively normal life.

Gift From the Sea isn’t a how-to book. You know, since it is over 50 years old at this point, maybe it came before the craze of books, articles, and everything else that declares “10 Things Successful People Do,” or “7 Ways to Save Your Marriage,” or “15 Days to a New You.” You get the point. I fall for it, too. We want to be told what we’re going to get, and when. How much work is it going to require of me? How fast can I nail this down and move on to the next thing? Gift From the Sea isn’t like that. Really, you’re not left with any specific instructions at all. Just a lot of food for thought for a woman, by a woman.

I’ve had to read through the book slowly to really digest what she’s saying. I need to soak it all in because each word is so carefully crafted and beautifully written. It’s like a fine chocolate. You want to savor it rather than chomping down each bite sized Hershey’s, one after the other.

You know, I can’t tell you one tangible thing I’ve done as a direct result of this book  because like I said, she doesn’t give commands to follow up on within the book. Rather, it’s like looking at your life, and the world as a whole, from a different angle. Better understanding being a mother, wife, caretaker, community member, and all the other facets a woman encompasses. Of course she doesn’t forget the fact that we need to be ourselves also. We need to be alone sometimes, just to relax in our own thoughts. It’s amazing how in a book that lacks the context of modern technology, she still hits it on the head when talking about distractions in every day life. I guess gadgets meant to help us being a distraction isn’t as new of an issue as I imagined.

Why am I telling you about this book? Am I trying to sell it to you? Well, I do have affiliate links so if you do choose to buy it, I get a percentage of the sale (and you don’t pay any extra than you would already), but honestly, get it from the library if you so choose. I want you to read the book, however you choose to do so. I don’t know how anyone could walk away unchanged. Not kidding.

Do you have a book that has been motivational and inspiring in your life?

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Filed Under: Mama's Corner

Comments

  1. Karan says

    March 24, 2014 at 7:24 am

    I found you on the MMM linky party and I’m glad I stopped by! I also blog about my travels, and would love it if you stopped by and visited!
    http://karanandmichael.blogspot.com/

    Reply
    • Shannen Espelien says

      March 24, 2014 at 10:06 pm

      Wow, what a fun blog you have! Thanks for stopping by!

      Reply
  2. Marla says

    March 24, 2014 at 8:42 am

    Sounds like a very good book with a lot of useful information. Sometimes the best books are the ones that useful tips in them that you can apply to your life. I have one book I review to a lot – The Naturally Clean Home – Visiting from MMM Link up Party!

    Reply
    • Shannen Espelien says

      March 24, 2014 at 10:07 pm

      I’ll have to check that one out. I love that Gift From the Sea is something you can read again and again, and it seems something different will speak to you each time. I love that in a book, too! Thanks for stopping by!

      Reply
  3. Jill says

    March 30, 2014 at 8:15 pm

    This sounds like a great book!
    Thank you for stopping by the Thoughtful Spot Weekly Blog Hop this week. We hope to see you drop by our neck of the woods next week!

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Reasons You Should Have a Hobby - Middle Way Mom says:
    April 2, 2014 at 11:02 am

    […] A book I’ve been reading lately about motherhood, and life in general as an adult woman, mentioned the need for women to have some creative outlet. Before big box stores and all the convenience of modern life (as she mentions in her book written more than 50 years ago), women’s chores required a bit of creativity such as making or mending clothes, blankets, cooking with the items available to you, etc. Now we have to seek out ways to create with our own hands, and find ways to express creativity. While I was working full time, I would have told you I’m not creative in the slightest, but I’ve come to realize that my work was my creative outlet. Now that I’ve had time to explore different avenues, I realize that I love creating items following a pattern. I like figuring out the pattern, like a puzzle or math problem, and sorting out how it all works to make an item that I can hold. Quilting, knitting, crocheting, and tatting all fit the bill. […]

    Reply
  2. Homeschooling Ideas Wrapped in a Big Book PLUS Pampering Mama Giveaway - Middle Way Mom says:
    August 1, 2014 at 3:01 am

    […] Gift from the Sea by Anne Morrow Lindbergh. Read why I think this is a must-have book for all moms! […]

    Reply
  3. Encouragement for Homeschool Moms says:
    February 8, 2016 at 6:03 am

    […] already raved about Gift from the Sea, and I realized it also comes as an audio book for us moms where that is more convenient or […]

    Reply
  4. Must Read Books for Parenting with Young Children says:
    January 23, 2017 at 5:01 am

    […] I felt like I was drowning, and I don’t know what drew me to this book, but it was a gift from Allah that I read it when I did. […]

    Reply

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