It is thought that to empty your mind, or to have a clear-head, can be the answer to all problems. No racing thoughts = nothing to figure out or solve. All is calm. It is the well-documented reason that meditation is believed – medically, scientifically, and spiritually – to be so beneficial for aiding stress and a myriad of other issues. But what about when life and the world-at-large is just so overwhelming that there is no head-clearing to be had? The thoughts and fears and confusion just won’t settle down? No amount of sitting and breathing will produce the quiet you’re hoping for?

Books.

Thank god for books. And stories. And awesome writers that create worlds we can get lost in. Through life’s many curve balls, and ups and downs, and challenging stretches – books have been my refuge. My safe place where I escape to. I know that whether the news is one long thread of horror, or I am bummed out, or angry, or heart-broken, or discouraged, or lonely, or just in a general I-can’t-take-it-anymore space – a book will take my hand and lead me to a different place. What I’m reading may be difficult or emotional, but it’s not my difficulty or emotion. And that is validating. That others – even if they are fictional characters – also go through difficult and emotional experiences. That life isn’t just a glossy, perfect place and you’re a freak if you experience otherwise. That validation can be as head-clearing as sitting buddha-still.

“What I’m reading may be difficult or emotional, but it’s not my difficulty or emotion. And that is validating. That others – even if they are fictional characters – also go through difficult and emotional experiences.”

Immersing myself in the lives or fantastical worlds of others through books has always been a monumental source of comfort for me. What’s proved to be just as comforting, if not more so, is reading out-loud to Cash and Olive. From when they were each just tiny and I read Goodnight Moon every single day before naps and bedtime, to now and their obsession with Harry Potter, reading together feels like a sweet escape. No matter what has happened that day for them – maybe nobody sat with Cash at lunch or Olive is frustrated with her math homework – or for me – really bad stuff in the news that I can not shake and don’t share with the two of them – our time reading together wipes the slate clean – at least in that moment. It is impossible to not be swept away by their complete attention and focus on the story. And when it is a complicated story-line full of all matters of magic – you gotta pay attention or you can’t answer the questions that come up for clarification. So it does become a sort of cocoon away from the real world. Head-clearing. Mind-emptying of everything but the lovely world you are in with each other.

Clearly, I’m not saying anything here that hasn’t been known since the written word has been around. That people read to escape. To be swept away. To be in another person’s shoes for a bit. But with all the distraction of our devices and constant instant access to news, sometimes the books on our bedside tables are quick to collect dust.  With all that it takes on a regular basis just to deal with living that, that is the human condition and then scooping on top of that all which has been happening lately in the world, I’ve been reminded how much I can lean on books.

“It does become a sort of cocoon away from the real world. Head-clearing. Mind-emptying of everything but the lovely world you are in with each other.”

Clearing your head is a necessity. Staying grounded and taking one moment at a time is imperative. Deep breaths – super important. And, reading. Something you can relate to, or perhaps something you can not. In your own world, or that world with which you share with others. Goodnight Moon. Harry Potter…. It all ends the same way. Feeling like maybe you stepped away from it all for a bit. The other place that you are transported to, could be the gateway to sitting still long enough to actually quiet your mind.