Bowls Full and Empty

the everyday sacred, the ordinary, and the essential

How do you converse with the things you read?

Granted, not everything requires interaction or a conversation. I'm halfway done with a novel now that's just a “turn the page” read. (Although I am taking notes of descriptive aspects that work well so I can try them out in my own writing.)

But some books inspire more thought and need a more concrete way of interacting.

I started reading Everyday Sacred by Sue Bender, which I pulled off one of my bookshelves in the first week of the year. At this stage in my life, I'm realizing that I need to read the books that are already on my shelves rather than continue to buy more books to fill my shelves.

I also realize I'm probably not going to read every single book already on my shelves (or reread some of the books I’ve already read) so I'm trying to be more judicious both about the books that take up place on my shelves and the ones I choose to read.

In the first week of the year moved along half a dozen books and pulled down a few I want to read. Everyday Sacred stood out when I was perusing the shelf.

As I read, I found that I had a lot of thoughts. It was too much to make notes in the margins (and I also have mixed feelings about writing in the margins of books—a discussion for another time). It also didn't make sense for me to open a Word doc on my laptop and retype the context in order to then comment on it.

I needed another method and thought of Post-Its. I've never done much with Post-Its. I once called my older son the Post-It king because he was always using Post-Its. In his school desk, all over the dividers, most with little drawings but some with quotes or sayings.

So, I pulled out Post-Its and started making notes and tucking it into the page where I had that thought.

I’m liking this practice, as it helps me not to have that added “clutter” in my brain of thoughts about a book that I’m trying to remember. It’s on a Post-It instead. Also, they’re there for next time I’m reading, as a reminder of the things I was reflecting on or contemplating or even struggling with during this season.

Kind of like a reading journal.

This past week, I have also been listening to another book, this one recommended by a writer. I had the audio on hold on Libby (my library app), and got the alert that it was available, so I started listening to it this past week.

I finished it yesterday and want to listen to it again or read a physical copy and make notes and some decisions in relation to it. The book is Essentialism, and highlights a way of thinking and approaching life in a more meaningful way, with the essential things, instead of trying to do “all the things.”

But it’s interesting that the book has a lot of areas that align with this other book I'm reading, Everyday Sacred. One was a book I’ve owned for a while and just happened to pull off my shelf and start reading. The other was a book I’ve seen recommended by a couple of writers recently. I had it on hold for a while and was suddenly available last week.

Both books are, I feel, what I need to be reading right now.

The premise of Everyday Sacred began, for the author, with the picture of a begging bowl. The idea of having just enough for the day, and the “enough” coming from what is given to you—like a monk going around with a begging bowl.

What he receives is his food, his sustenance, for that day.

Today, we in the west live not in dearth, but surplus. This is where many thoughts of this book align with the ideas put forth in Essentialism. So many things are at our fingertips, literally, on the internet. It’s overwhelming.