Lucie, the main character, is caught between what is appropriate and what she wants. The struggle with her roots and her inner self do lead her astray, but she does find her way and the ride is a good one.
Kwan has a great writing style and this was just as good as his first books. If you haven't had a chance to read those I highly recommend them too. If you want a nice easy read that will make you laugh and shake your head this summer this is a good choice.
The title may be a bit harsh but everything Bishop talks about is pretty right on. I have worked very hard over the years to take responsibility for myself. I try to not let the past dictate who I am or where I am going. I am not discounting anything that I was taught or learned as I was growing up, but I am not going to let the negative things hinder me.
Truly, we do need to get out of our own way sometimes. Our mind is very powerful and can stop us from achieving so much in life if we let it. I am always so proud of myself when I accomplish something that I did not think that I could do. I am also proud of myself when I just do what needs to be done. It is so easy to just push things off, think it will take too long, or just think that it is too hard. I get off of my butt and just do it. It is an amazing feeling.
We all have off days, especially during this past year, but we can't let them rule our lives. If you are willing to do the work for something you really want then do it. Make it work. Enjoy life for what you have done and accomplished, it will take you far.
These are tough questions and questions that we truthfully cannot answer. We are not experiencing what they experience. We do not live where they have lived and seen the horrors that they have seen. In a way I admire what they put themselves through to get here.
This book follows a few different families and what has led them to try and make a new home in the United States. They have lost their entire family to cartels or been raped and injured to the point that they have to leave. They leave everything they know behind in hopes of finding something better.
Some of the situations they go through seem almost too much to bear, much worse that what they were going through, but it isn't. To live a life in constant fear of gangs and cartels, to never know if every time your loved one leaves the house whether you may see them again.
This is a very difficult subject and one that is really in our faces right now. These immigrants feel it is worth the danger to leave. Why aren't the countries they come from doing anything? Why are these countries not protecting their citizens? So many questions and not enough answers. How many lives need to be lost before there is an acceptable answer?
I feel that Cummins presented this story in a way that we can start to see the struggle. We can see the hardships on both ends. I felt for the characters and I was tense and angry and worried and relieved. So many emotions that I just read off of a page that these people endure everyday. If you want a glimpse into what immigrants coming to this country through Mexico is like take the time to read this and really think about the whole situation.
I love it when I get a good nights sleep. A sleep in which I don't remember waking up for several hours. I am not talking all night long, but at least five to six hours. It is wonderful and it does not happen often enough.
This book talks about what happens when we go to bed, how our minds prevent us from falling asleep, how our world prevents us from sleeping well. There is so much that contributes to a being able to sleep, and maybe we need to reframe in our minds what a good nights sleep is.
I have not done the mediations yet but there are a few that look really interesting and am looking forward to trying them out. I have already worked on some things that seem to help me when it comes to falling asleep. I am off any electronic device an hour before bed, I journal right when I get into bed, and then I read. Most times a book, but sometimes a magazine. The last thing I do, when I finish reading, is breath. I concentrate on my breath so that is the only thing that is happening. There are many times that I do not even remember falling asleep. It is amazing. I have also found when I wake in the middle of the night and can't seem to fall back to sleep I go back to breathing and can sleep again.
Sleep is so vital to how we function, not only with other people and our jobs, but how our body functions. Our bodies need time to recover and recoup and heal overnight. Good sleep is just as important as exercise and eating a balanced diet. I think we sometimes forget that and then we stress about it and it all turns into a viscous circle.
Sleep. Don't fight it. Don't stress over it. Just let it happen and you will feel so much better.
