The first book I read was A Million Little Pieces by James Frey. I enjoyed the book, but I will say that it was not the best thing I've ever read. I was completely caught up in the story of loss and addiction, and floored at the experiences that someone my own age had endured. I can honestly say that I have had those terrible days where all you want at the end is to forget everything that happened, but I can't imagine getting wasted to the point that I would completely lose who I am. I can't even fathom how one could get to that point. The mere idea of not knowing what I am doing or not being in control of my own body terrifies me. I recently watched the movie The Hangover, and felt the same way in regards to the actions of the men in the film.
I am not trying to undermine anyone's personal struggles with personal vices, we all have them, but I personally can't understand the draw of a substance that can totally fry your brain...
The second book I read was actually a scripture study. I've been going through some things lately and realized that in the midst of it all, I had never done any personal research on what God had to say about the issue but rather depended on what my friends had said and researched. When I came across this study, I kind of felt like God was whacking me over the head, so I downloaded it and devoured it. A lot of the things that I learned were things that I already knew, but I was also introduced to some new ideas and interpretations. The study really helped me gain a better understanding of my situation, and while I am nowhere near finished with my personally study on the topic, this was a very nice stepping stone.
The final book that I read I finished just this afternoon. It was called Handle With Care and it was written by Jodi Picoult. This was my first Jodi Picoult novel, and I have to say that I truly enjoyed it. Picoult has a very interesting way of weaving a story together from the points of view of all involved, and if all of her books are written with this technique, the woman is a genius. The story is about a family who's youngest member is born with a very rare genetic condition. The condition causes a lot of medical issues and the family struggles under the responsibilities of life with a disabled child and the choices that they make in order to provide the best life possible.
All I could think about as I read was what life would be like with an unhealthy child. How would my partner and I cope under the strain and pressure of daily life? Would I do everything in my power to ensure that he or she had the best that life could offer, even if it meant saying things I didn't believe? What if my child weren't unhealthy, but had some other disability or character trait that I didn't necessarily agree with or like? Would I still do everything in my power to ensure that they had the best life possible and accept and treasure who they were? I'd like to say yes, but I'm not 100% sure I can. I have to admit, I have a bit more empathy for my own parents in our current situation, I just wish I knew how things were going to work out and what the future holds.
