Too many books...

Now that the builders have left we can get on with the monumental job of cleaning and clearing and putting things back in place. This leads to many, many discussions about whether or not things should be re-arranged, left where they originally were, or thrown away.  Depending on the moment of the day and the mood I am in, I either want to keep everything or throw it all out.  De-clutter, minimalise, get rid of weighty possessions! No! Keep things, they are really beautiful, they all hold special memories and I may need them in future. Sometimes the possessions we have become the wallpaper background to our lives and we never even see the wallpaper anymore,

Forty years ago when I moved to England I only took two suitcases of  clothing, but I also shipped eleven cases of books. Somehow I found it impossible to leave the books behind. Each of the books I shipped had been read and probably re-read many times. They were one of the ways in which I defined myself and anyone looking at my book shelves could instantly tell what sort of person I was. There were many heavy art books with beautiful colour plates. There were poetry anthologies, cookbooks, of course, and lots of 'Zen and the Art of ...' sort of books.  When the packing cases finally arrived in London I really did feel that I had also arrived. I also felt much safer with my 'friends' around.

I still own some of the books I shipped across the Atlantic but I now see very clearly that my core identity is not inside those books. I still cannot throw away a book. I can give books to friends or second-hand shops, but as for throwing them into a dustbin - impossible!  I guess this is a generational thing. I remember too many photos and stories of tyrannical regimes burning books and banning art and music.

One of the many wonderful books that we found on our shelves is "The Illustrated Family Doctor" by A General Practitioner (who remains nameless!) printed in 1934 and of course, this is the section that Ralph found:

"In hysteria there is a profound craving for sympathy and an injudicious, though natural, response to this by relatives will but aggravate the complaint. It may, therefore, be necessary to isolate the patient under the care of an intelligent nurse."

I cannot imagine why  this particular section was the one my husband chose to point out, but I think this may be one of the books we need to get rid of.  As I look through the pages of this weighty tome I also find much to help and inform my life under headings such as 'dust', 'sewage' and 'seven-day fever'.

I also came across a book I bought a few years ago of  Lao-Tzu's verses on the Tao.  I delightedly spent some time this afternoon reading these verses, instead of clearing, and marvelling at the aptness of these writings today. This one particularly struck me:

"Those who have most power and wealth
Treat the planet as a thing to be possessed,
to be used and abused according to their own dictates,
But the planet is a living organism,
a Great Spiritual Integrity.

To violate this integrity
is certain to cull forth disaster
since each and every one of us
is an inherent part
of this very organism.

... The world's pulse is our pulse.
The world's rhythms are our rhythms.
To treat our planet with care, moderation and love
is to be in synchrony with ourselves
and to live in the Great Integrity."           Lao-Tzu

In these dark cold evenings, as Christmas approaches, regardless of how much work we have to do, go gently in the world and be well.