Books in a Library.

Books in a Library.  Lately, I have been thinking about each of the people in my life as a book in my personal library.  Friends, family, colleagues, former clients, acquaintances - each person represents a book.  Some are larger volumes than others; maybe because of the tenure or nature of our relationship.  A book could have been present for a reason or season.  Other books have been around for a lifetime.

As a person who loves words and treasures books, the image is comforting; like favorite novels and stories that have had an impact or stuck with me.  As a connector, someone who has been told that I ‘collect people and never let them out of my web’, the image of a library full of books represents a life full of individuals with whom I have connected.

The nuance is that each book is not equal.  And not every book is removed from the shelf and cherished at any given time.  There are books full of dust – representing relationships that have gone untouched or dormant.  There are multiple volumes for individuals that have been in or appeared in multiple chapters of my life.  And the tomes are as varied as each individual.

When I have a few minutes, I picture myself surveying the shelf and choosing the best title to meet the moment.  I choose different friends for laughter, serious conversation, a quick touch base or something more in-depth.  I can assess my library and make a choice with the book that will satisfy my needs.  It is a rich and fulfilling way to connect with the people in my life.

It also holds each person that I have encountered as they are, without judgement.  There are many people that I have fallen out of touch with or with whom I rarely engage, but their book is still on the shelf.  I can reach to the top shelf, I can clear the dust, and they will be back in my life – for a reason, season or lifetime.  Holding their volume may conjure memories (good or bad) and the growth I experienced from our interactions.  Or maybe I go to the well-worn edition that feels safe: the friend that knows me inside and out, word for word, chapter by chapter.

My library honors all of the people that have touched me throughout my life.  Each book filled with memories and stories, pictures and words.  Maybe this is a way to look at the volumes of your life without regret and with the richness that you find in the shelves of your favorite library.