When my mom remarried and blended four kids together and a new husband, she bought an old, two story house with a sizable attic that would come to hold all six of our dusty pasts.  Now, my stepfather is the only one left who visits that space to retrieve holiday decorations.  My son has been up there a few times with him and his reaction was similar to mine, when I used to visit.  Awe, adventure,ewwww what’s that on my shoulder?

When I lived there, I ventured up to find my mom’s old college books or discarded toys.  Once, I ended up in the emergency room after looking for my old Barbie dolls a friend needed for her demonstration speech.  Visiting the attic was kinda dangerous.

Maybe that’s why I treated my mom’s old books like Required Reading.

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance was pulled from the stacks in the attic library.  That’s a pretty awesome title, right?  I tried to read it as a teen and a few times in college and never finished it.

In the book, the author meditates on the word quality like, for a really really long time.  I never got through his quality meditation because it infuriated me that someone would spend that much time ruminating on a word.  Who does that?

I know, lots of people do that.  Everyone I know has their quality.

These are mine lately (the actual things not the word):  Books, friendship, community, Frozen’s “Let It Go” (I finally saw it), money, service, inflammatory online essays.

I listed that one last because it’s the most pointless and embarrassing.  Specifically, ones that lead with “Education is broken because…” or “This just in:  Dolphin delivers fatal blow to Common Core…”  I can’t meditate on quality for thirty pages but I can call everyone on my contacts list to scream about essays on education for days.  (Special shout-out to my BFF and husband who bore the brunt this week.)

I haven’t written here in a while because  my mind is elsewhere on mostly worthwhile activities. Prioritizing is a gift I am forcing upon myself (reading, friends, good deeds…).  I’ll never lose my tendency to flip out at my triggers but I do recognize how precious it is to let dust settle on those corners of my brain, only to venture in occasionally and if it seems truly worth it.  Spending too much time on frivolous anger is dangerous (even if, for me, more of a develop an ulcer kind of dangerous).

Anyway.

Books that have sent me over the moon lately:  The Happiness Project, Redefining Girly, Girl Meets God, MWF Seeking BFF

Sarah from Left Brain Buddha recently wrote a post about helpful children’s books (click here to see it).  I checked out the first two on her list from our library and my son’s head nearly exploded when we read them.  I found the books open and in his room throughout the week because he kept returning to marvel.  (And Sarah, the last page was my favorite too, it gave me chills) I also dove into her resources page (click here) and I have three from that list.  Thanks, Sarah!