Love You, Mean It

I just finished reading for the second time since my last birthday Love You, Mean It which is written by four September 11th widows. This book tears at me and by the end shows me the way to put myself back together. I highly recommend reading it. It has some really good inspirational parts in it, things that I want to highlight and jab at the page with exclamation points. I have yet to mark up my copy but I know that I will read it again before Christmas and will have the pencil and highlighter handy then.

I've never been one to read books more than once. But something in this book draws me to it. The reason for it is horrific. The husbands of these four women, among three thousand other people, were murdered by terrorists on September 11th when the Towers fell. These four women didn't know each other prior to the attacks, but found their way to each other before the first anniversary of the attacks.

They fall, they slip. As I like to put it, they sink. But they find new ways to float. There is a lot there for me to grab at when I read this book. I learn about these women and their husbands and families. But I also learn about myself each time I read it. And it's even more poignant to me as I think of my Dad trying to find his way without my Mom here. This time around the book lent itself to giving me more compassion and understanding. I went into it feeling like a spoiled child. And I came out if it wanting to be the adult I am.

It's not fun to be an adult. I wish the attacks never happened almost six years ago and I wish I never had to bury my Mom. But they did and I did and life never stopped. This book brings up the point that it's okay that life doesn't stop. It shows you that it's going to be a struggle until you realize it's okay to go forward, and then possibly will still be a struggle, just one that you may understand how to deal with better.

Love You, Mean It - a must read for me. A highly recommened read for others.