Not to be Shared

 

 

"I feel as though this was a holy and personal event I will never share with anyone.  That it cannot be shared and should not be.  Occasionally, one learns quiet, and then how to keep it.  Even me, who has always felt that everything must be shared, in order for it to be."

 

Elizabeth Berg

THE PULL OF THE MOON

 

 

In 1996, Elizabeth Berg wrote a book entitled, THE PULL OF THE MOON.  I just 'happened' to come across it while browsing in a book store.  The Chicago Tribune stated, "This is not a novel about a woman leaving home, but rather about a human being finding her way back." I was definitely 'nudged' to purchase it.

 

It is now twenty-one years later, and this novel remains to be one of my favorites.  The main character buys a journal on a whim, and as her daughter leaves for college, the woman leaves her home in search for herself.  She is in a good relationship, has a lovely home, and is not necessarily unhappy.  It is a yearning for self-discovery that lures her away.

 

If you have not read this book, I encourage you to do so.  It is not just a story, but an unfolding journey into parts of the self.  You will witness a woman transitioning, and you as the reader will move right along with her.  Elizabeth Berg has a wonderful sense of humor; totally believable and honest; and weaves through heartbreak. 

 

This book helped me to understand the desire to run away to a safe little cottage in the woods, no matter how much abundance life has squandered on you.  In no uncertain terms, I came to realize the yearning was not for escaping, but for finding lost parts of my self.