I am a bookworm bookcaterpillar. Always have been; always will be. I love when a book reminds me exactly why I love to read.
Certain books capture me completely and part of me remains amongst their pages long after I finish them. The story takes residence in my heart and, likewise, my heart resides in the words. They tear into me and grab pieces of my soul.
Or something like that. Anyways….
Little Bee by Chris Cleave is one such book.
As the book promises, I want to tell all my friends to read it; however, I made a promise not to tell you what it’s about.
The book asked me not to. It said please.
(Really. Look inside the front flap.)
The magic, the BEAUTY, is in how the story unfolds. This pretty much encapsulates my personal conviction: that life is a Beautiful Struggle. I won’t say what happens, but the book is a vivid depiction of my creed.
I will share one passage from the book that just….sigh. It moves me every time I read it. Please take a moment and let the words work their magic.
…I ask you right here please to agree with me that a scar is never ugly. That is what the scar makers want us to think. But you and I, we must make an agreement to defy them.
We must see all scars as beauty. Okay? This will be our secret. Because take it from me, a scar does not form on the dying.
A scar means, I survived.
…I will speak some sad words to you but you must hear them the same way we have agreed to see scars now. Sad words are just another beauty.
A sad story means, this storyteller is alive.
The next thing you know, something fine will happen to her, something marvelous and then she will turn around and smile.
Um, wow. I’m gonna leave the words alone.
I’ve already exceeded the word/brain-share limitation I impose on myself. (By the way, I have a “scroller” alert widget on my blog and I know who you scrollers are…*evilsinistergiggle*.)
Besides, who cares what I think?
Reading is grooviest when you let the words capture parts of you.
On a related unrelated note…
Beauty is everywhere….in our struggles, in our scars.
Look at the beauty I saw yesterday (a gloomy glummy day) in a dirty parking lot.
Cutie patooties. 
- What “scars” or sad stories do you have that you agree are beautiful?
Since reading this, I’ve realized I am "walking wounded.” I need to heal and allow a scar to form before the beauty can come out.
- Admit it….sometimes you gotta scroll right?
Oh, yeah. I’m a scroller sometimes. Lots and lots of text is daunting. ESPECIALLY with no pictures. I usually won’t comment if I scroll.
- Did you really read the passage? Will you read the book? Please do. (If you want).
PS- I have no idea why the Altoids ad is appearing in my comments…but it’s funny.
PPS- This is by no mean some sort of self-injury manifesto. I understand many people with eating disorders struggle with cutting but I am not one of them and do not incourage that behavior (but my heart aches for you).
