Books that we re-read over and over are the old (book) friends that are always there. The ones that we can open up randomly or in the middle of the series and revist, regardless of how long it has been, and still find that special something that kept us coming back.
Our old (book) friends don’t change, but we do.
And along this journey of change we call life, we find that sometimes those old familiars aren’t getting the love they deserve anymore. That new friends replace the old. And then it’s time to say goodbye.
Not the First Goodbye
Although it feels like forever since Why (and How) I’m Clearing Off My Bookshelves was written, this is at least the second major bookshelf overhaul in the last few years, but probably the third.
The second go-round was more of a situation of “I’ve never read this book and have no interest or time anymore” (usually books that were given to me and the piles got overwhelming).
But this goodbye is different.
This goodbye is old (book) friends, the old familiar pages that I used to read and then re-read again almost immediately after. The books that I painstakingly collected, a collection of novels that took time (and money) to curate.
Why Old (Book) Friends Are Leaving
I originally didn’t plan to share this.
It was to be between me, myself, and I. But, conviction.
Everyone has different reasons for saying goodbye to old friends, but mine started with conviction. A sermon our pastor preached about the media we consume (even if it’s not necessarily graphic or crude) had me convicted about the books in our home.
The movies were easy (we don’t watch much television). The music is a work in progress… but the books. It was so easy to turn my eyes away and say I needed to re-read them again (just to be sure they needed to go). To say my two boys are too young to read anyways, and it won’t impact them for years to come. Justification is far too easy for me, especially when it comes to these special books.
But the conviction wouldn’t go away.
We had protections around my bookshelves, but my toddler started finding ways around those protections, and ripping pages out of books while I fed my newborn. He especially delights in handing me little bits of page as if it’s a present.
The Long (and Short) Goodbye
So one naptime, I loaded the boy’s wagon with those books (the ripped ones repaired) and gave them away. Not all of them, but the ones I felt conviction about. I gave away entire series (even if some of the books were fine) because it felt wrong to keep a portion and pass along the rest.
So the goodbye that took far too long for me to convince myself needed to happen, turned out to be quick and far from sweet. I nearly cried saying goodbye to some beloved old (book) friends along this journey.
Have you ever felt so convicted about something dear or special to you that you gave it away (or else got it out of your home)? Let me know in the comments below!
Christian, wife, “hybrid” mama, I run the site All Behind A Smile to help others like me.
Leave a Reply