Finding Comfort in Books (Love for Newtown, CT)

I don't know about you, but the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary in Connecticut is still raw and present, and on my mind a lot. I can't imagine what it would be like for those families to lose such precious little ones. I can't imagine what it would feel like to have such a hole in your heart that could never be filled in the same way again. When I think of what my life would be like without my loved ones, I think of being terribly empty and suffering a broken heart at almost every moment. It's hard to even talk about this indescribable loss in Newtown.

I've found that in moments of sorrow, suffering, or a broken heart, I can find some small measure of comfort and solace in a book. Have you ever felt that way? To be able to escape into a book in times when you can't stand to exist in the consciousness of what happened is so welcome. Often when this happens, it is my old, worn copies of my favorite books that I turn to. There is just something comforting about those familiar stories and worlds, places and characters that I can melt into for a short space of time, feeling what they feel instead of the ache that I feel. Books are so wonderful this way.

What are some of your favorite comfort books? Below are a few of mine that I've revisited when times are hard. May you find some peace and hope in your favorite words.

Top to Bottom: The Book Thief, These Is My Words, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Billy Collins' Sailing Alone Around the Room (poetry), Ella Enchanted (from when I was younger), Shiloh (also from childhood), Jane Eyre, and The Help. 

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