Real-life events in 2020 are the epitome of truth being stranger than fiction. So many of us describe being in a daze these past few months. Looking back, I realize now that I was in shock in March and April. That is why I took some time to pause and “go back to the basics.”
Returning to the basics of reading an actual paper book has provided a lot more than entertainment and passing the time in quarantine. It turns out that reading an old-school paper book has surprisingly done wonders for my soul.
As a nomadic girl-on-the-go and a person with dyslexia, audiobooks have been my primary source of literary consumption for much of my adult life.
However, quarantine has renewed my love of paper books! Seriously, if you’re feeling uncertain right now, take a step back and grab yourself a good old fashioned paper book, sit down and read. It will do you wonders.
Books Feel Good
There was this one time at the beginning of lockdown that I was feeling a little uneasy, and I took the ever-growing pile of paper books on my nightstand and spread them around me while I sat on my bed. These books seemed like old friends even though I hadn’t gotten all the way through each of them, they instantly piqued my interest and had me feeling more productive.
As I sat there looking at the titles in front of me that spread numerous genres, it made me feel smart. There I was in the throws of a pandemic, suffering from shock. My brain was mush, and I felt like I couldn’t put an intelligent sentence together.
The books surrounding me reminded me of who I am, a person with dreams, extreme problem-solving skill, a thirst for knowledge and a wicked sense of humour.
The books also reminded me that I was still that person, but my job right now was to sit there with them, be still, so that when the time was right, I would be ready to restart my dreams. Until then, my job was to rest, read a few pages of each book to remind myself who I was, where I was from, and where I wanted to go.
My Family’s Favourite
One particular book that has been favourite of the entire family this time is “Little House in the Big Woods,” the first book in the Little House in the Prairie series. Besides reminding me of childhood, it had the additional benefit of reading it out loud to my daughter and her actually loving it!
On top of allowing me to share my love of reading it:
1) It provided screen-free snuggle time with my daughter
2) Showed my daughter and reminded me about the joy of a simple existence.
3) It inspired gratitude for what we DO HAVE!
One of my favourite parts of the book is when the main character, Laura Ingalls, who is probably about five years old in this book, goes to “town” for the first time. She was so excited to see houses standing next to her and go to a store–for the first time in her life!
Apparently, people could survive only playing with members of their own household most of the time and going to a store just a few times a year. We’ve come full circle.
What We Learned from Little House
“Little House in the Big Woods” reminded my daughter and me that staying safe at home, growing a tiny bit of our own food could be full of adventures. My daughter also learned low-tech props such as stumps and sticks could provide an afternoon’s worth of entertainment so long as we used our imagination.
“Little House in the Big Woods” provided a much-needed change in perspective in the way that we approached social distancing. On top of that, reading together worked as an enjoyable form of crisis-schooling. These books from the Little House series are must-read for shifting your mindset during the pandemic!
Hopefully, the pandemic haze is lifting as we all adjust to our “new normal.”
Have any books resonated with you during isolation? Please share below!
For more social distancing fun, check out this fun family game.
