Becoming Our Books

Thin streams of golden sunlight were skipping over the tulip folds on the drape in my bedroom. Its time! Wiping the stardust from my eyelashes, I thought for a moment… then, piling the heavy coverlet into a mound, I put on my hooded robe and headed down the staircase.

Another brand-new day. It’s time to make the coffee.

After readying the pot, I grabbed my favorite mug and waited. As the steamy brew gurgled and dripped, its intoxicating fragrance swirled around me. Taste buds tingled and my stomach eagerly rumbled. Filling the mug to the brim, I wrapped my hands around its lovely warmth. I took my first sip and it eased my chilly bones.

Lucidity filled my brain and sharp vision cleared the cobwebs. Grinning, I eased through the pile of morning reads before me. I thumbed through of the morning newspaper and then through some daily spiritual material.

My day had begun.

Satisfied, I cleared the dishes from the sink. I then reviewed my “to-do” list for the day. Hmm … so much to do. No problem.

There was a hop in my step and a wink in my eye. I grabbed my lunch bag and headed out to the car. Turning the key, the engine hiccupped then roared into action. This was going to be a productive day I thought, scanning for lively tunes on the radio.

As I neared the last turn toward work, I remembered a book that I wanted along with an information file that I had left behind. Oh, how I depended my books. Was there time to go back?

A sinking feeling in my stomach pressed hard, but a glance at my watch affirmed my direction. I had already read the material and knew my notes. After all, I had become an expert at flipping through pages of books and learning a whole lot. They educated and motivated me to eagerly take on wonderful experiences in life.

‘‘Hey, I’ve got this,” I shouted, laughing to myself. And I did. With a determined turn of the wheel, I continued to the office.

That evening, after a scrumptious supper with family, I settled into the cozy living room sofa. I surrounded myself with a huge library bag of new unread books along with a mug of honeyed herbal tea and several comfy pillows. It was time to appreciate a day well lived with the cracking of the cover of a new read.

Books filled with a plethora of invention and information had rooted themselves in me.

Yes, I have consumed countless pages of books. They have surpassed the sum of these fulfilling pages, by creating fresh thought and words of my own.

… “and that’s how I live it.”

Dear readers, I invite you to a good read, three that I penned in recent years. Enjoy them with a comforting cup of tea in a comfortable armchair. They are:

Dueling Picket Fences, by J.A. Elaine (pen name), Paid in Chocolate - Tales from a Counselor’s Chair, Secret Passages, Nothing Ever Happens in Tuttlebury, the latter two authored in my full name, Johnna Anne Gurr, LPC