The Book Report | From Our Online Bookshop Curator Rebecca Traver

“Life is a balance between holding on and letting go.”

~Rumi

“Laugh as much as possible, always laugh. It’s the sweetest thing one can do for oneself & one’s fellow human beings.”

~Maya Angelou

As we feel Libra Season coming into its final days (with a Super New Moon, no less!), we are given the opportunity to assess how the quality of Balance is or isn’t expressing in our lives.We can easily get swept up by the circumstances of what is so often felt as a world out-of-balance and as a result lose our sense of focus and groundedness in response. When that happens, it is in our power to reset and adjust - even though we may not be able to trust that truth in any given moment.Part of gaining wisdom is that the middle way of Peace and Presence gets a bit easier to travel over time as we continue to develop our self-care tools and practices.As the season moves us through shorter days and longer nights, we might feel drawn to turn within and to reflect on our circumstances and relationships. What needs to be held closer and cherished more deeply? What is calling for change? What needs to be released?The practice of forest bathing comes to mind as a way to refresh our spirit and remind us of the interconnectedness of Life. We become aware that we belong in the great scheme of things and it cannot be otherwise. On that note, we might want to turn our hearts and attention to caring for the Earth.We all can learn how to be better stewards of our home world. How we choose to support and teach our children about these issues is of paramount importance. After all, it is they who will inherit whatever kind of world we are helping to co-create now.And, before this becomes too serious, how about we bring some balance to this report with a few selections from our list we call “The Best Medicine: The Healing Power of Humor”. Here we find how some of our fellow humans have been coping with what the philosophers call our “condition”.There’s the hilarious New York Times bestseller Hyperbole and a Half by Allie Brosh, the wry and tender take on life as an art student Wendy, Master of Art by Walter Scott, I'm Just a Person by the brilliant Tig Notaro and two of my personal favorites, the graphic memoirs Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic and Are You My Mother?:A Comic Drama by Alison Bechdel.While these may, at first glance, feel a bit off topic for Paradise Found, I encourage you to reconsider. In these works we are granted insight into deep challenge and the willingness to embrace vulnerability with courage and commitment, to persevere, and to share. We discover that no matter how weird, peculiar, or idiosyncratic we may feel at times, we are so not alone.

Let’s continue to choose to take care of ourselves, our families, our communities, and our planet with great love and the bravery to laugh!