I Know How to Get Rich

It’s weird what makes me feel rich.

I feel super rich right now. I just came back from the library with a stack of books I can't wait to read.

I am a voracious reader. Now that I am semi-retired, I frequently consider spending less time working as an end of life doula and conscious dying educator and more time reading.

I am in two book clubs and am considering a third.

I love books. Too much. They make me feel rich.

I won't even go into book stores anymore because I get into a frenzied state where I can't stand that I will never get to read all the books that exist. It is painful to me to not be able to absorb every stitch written in every book published.

But actually I do have some standards. I don't really want to read every book. Its mostly literary fiction that I must have and some nonfiction. I am old enough now to allow myself permission to put down a book that I truly do not like.

It feels indulgent to give up on a book, to ignore the author's attempts to express themselves on page, sometimes devoting years and decades to their effort. But sometimes, I must.

I love the rush of being grabbed into the world the author created and being picked up in the whirlwind of the plot, to feel as if I understand what the main characters are feeling because I know them their motivations and desires so well, to be moved by the world they have invited me to witness.

I consider it a holy ritual to order my books from my local library, and to know they will ping me when they arrive, and to walk that mile, or drive if I must, to walk through the doors, glowing with richness, find my books waiting for me in the stacks, check them out, and then hold them close to me with a big smile of gratitude glued to my face as I leave the cherished building.

I feel so full and luxurious and basking in the promises of words and stories and themes and other lands. Surely, gifted writers are up there with the best of our species. I would be lost without them.

Its almost as good as being an end of life doula, but nothing touches the honor of accompanying someone on that journey. Happy richly reading!