Displaying Behaviors

"Perhaps, I should just worry about my own

behavior and le other be who they are."

Louise Penny

Author, Louise Penny wrote a series of mysteries unfolding in Quebec and a quaint neighboring village.  With my love for Quebec, she is easily one of my favorite authors.  It is her characters, however, that have maintained my attention.

In the little village of Louise Penny's imagination, she has created diverse characters who somehow band together.  Each character represents differing qualities, opinions, and physical aspects, but remain intwined. They easily become personal friends in spite of faulty aspects of being a human being.

These novels reflect the damage of hard times passing, diversity, and speculation, but this group of friends consistently respect, observe, and learn from each other.  They are filled with simple, yet poignant situations that instill me to always try to do better, be better, and see the best in others. 

Inspector Gamache Book Series  

1. Still Life (#1), 2005
2. A Fatal Grace aka Dead Cold (#2), 2006
3. The Cruelest Month (#3), 2007
4. A Rule Against Murder (#4), 2008
5. The Brutal Telling (#5), 2009
6. Bury Your Dead (#6), 2010
7. The Hangman (#6.5) 2010 (novella)
8. A Trick of the Light (#7), 2011
9. The Beautiful Mystery (#8), 2012
10. How the Light Gets In (#9), 2013
11. The Long Way Home (#10), 2014
12. The Nature of the Beast (#11), 2015
13. A Great Reckoning (#12), 2016
14. Glass Houses (#13), 2017
15. Kingdom of the Blind (#14), 2018
16. A Better Man (#15), 2019
17. All the Devils Are Here (#16), 2020

Highly Difficult Passage

"In my experience, people who have been hurt either

pass it on and become abusive themselves or

they develop a great kindness."

Louise Penny,  STILL LIFE

Social histories reflect a child from an alcoholic family is likely to choose a partner who is alcoholic.  The same is true for domestic violence.  The child who grew up with physical aggressiveness may reflect aggression themselves or choose a violent partner.  Even if we abhor certain behaviors, we very well may need assistance in shifting what remains hidden within.

We all have choices, but they cannot be made until we acknowledge the presence of what needs to be unlearned.  We have patterns running through our life that often are over looked or ignored.  Repetition continues until the lesson is so harsh we are forced to face reality.

Our ego deceives us, and it is easier to 'go along' than to muster the courage to face the obvious need for change.  Whether unhealthy eating habits, hoarding, or promiscuity, we first must stop listening to the voice of ego telling us we are okay.  It takes courage and determination to change and it is a highly difficult passage; but at the end, we see life anew.

Retaliation or Appropriate Reaction

"When someone stabs you

it's not your fault that you feel pain."

Louise Penny

Author, Louise Penny wrote a mystery series which takes place outside of Quebec.  She has penned a small community of diverse friends who face challenges from the outside world.  When I read the last book of the series, I felt as though I had just lost significant friends.

The main characters of these books are diverse, but are connected through compassion and by being present for each other....not to solve problems, but to share as they pass through the various stages of life.  There is murder of course, but lots of humor as well.  I encourage people to discover this author.

Louise Penny makes the statement, "When someone stabs you, it's not your fault that you feel pain."  Harsh words can be thrown at us at any time so we are not necessarily prepared.  When unexpectedly exposed we will feel pain, however, we still choose how to react.  Do we want to retaliate and invest more energy in an already bad situation, or do we choose to withdraw?  Backing down is not cowardice, it is creating time for a more appropriate reaction.