What's in Your Pile?
by Jess Coffey
Bib·li·o·phile /ˈbiblēəˌfīl/ noun
a person who collects or has a great love of books.
That’s me. A self-professed bibliophile. I am spiritually nourished by books. I searched for a word describing someone who collects and loves non-fiction, in particular, but could not find one. I did, however, learn a new word that also suits me—Tsundoku, a Japanese word describing the act of buying a book and leaving it unread, often piled together with other unread books. Oh, the piles I have (I am so thankful for the area libraries and my local Buy Nothing group)! And I love them all and the anticipation of reading them, knowing each one contains wisdom that will no doubt expand my mind and improve my life. The books in my piles run the gamut, but do tend to lean heavily non-fiction. I am thankful to my monthly book club for ensuring that I get some fiction sprinkled in on a regular basis—we have been going strong for 21 years now and over 220 books read together—no small feat! Over the years, I have been drawn to books that reflect my needs and interests at particular times; Wayne Dyer ignited my seeker's journey, no doubt fueled by the recommendation of my mom on her own lifelong quest of inner work and self reflection. Motherhood guided me to books on parenting and raising resilient, inquisitive, kind humans. And as a Unitarian Universalist (an “open-minded, open-hearted spiritual community of people leading lives of justice, love, learning, and hope”), I have also been drawn to the wisdom of the ages in multiple faith traditions.
For the longest time, I have collected books about rituals and traditions to help me find greater meaning and to honor the passing of time, seasons, holidays… I have been inspired by yoga, Buddhism, Hindu gods and goddesses, Judaism, Native American spirituality, African-American traditions, and more. I love learning about Indigenous wisdom and cultures. However, recently I have begun questioning my need to find something outside of myself and the traditions that I was born into (however far removed they may be). So I am now starting piles more connected to my heritage, like Celtic Tree Rituals, Northern Tradition for the Solitary Practitioner, and Root and Ritual. I never want to stop learning about other people and cultures—I believe understanding, honoring, and respecting others is imperative for being a true citizen of this planet. But I also want to honor the connection I have to my roots and this beautiful earth through celebrations that have been lost to me over time. And I want to pass these traditions and stories along to my children and my grandchildren and encourage them to create stacks of their own.
The political climate, pandemic, and endless assaults against people of color made it imperative that I learn more about health equity, social justice, and anti-racism. But what good is reading if it doesn’t encourage action? I want what I read to help make me do more and do better. Ruth King’s book, Mindful of Race, inspired the creation of numerous Racial Affinity Groups, and the one I am a member of has pushed me to learn and grow through conversation, reading, and my own self reflection and analysis. It has helped me learn ways to speak up and act in service to help “change policies, behaviors, and beliefs that perpetuate racist ideas and actions.”
My grown sons and their interests in the environment and sustainability have encouraged me to add to my piles about climate change and the health of our planet. I’m currently reading Zen and the Art of Saving the Planet (The Innerwork Center’s most recent book group book) where Thich Nach Hanh “shows us a new way of seeing and living that can bring healing and harmony to ourselves, our relationships, and the earth.” I am also reading Braiding Sweetgrass, Robin Kimmerer’s book about how “the awakening of a wider ecological consciousness requires the acknowledgment and celebration of our reciprocal relationship with the rest of the world.”
My Sunday mornings are spent reading the books from these piles (well, parts of books—there are just so many to read and so little time for all I want to devour!)—it’s been my church during Covid and I so look forward to that sacred, quiet time of getting lost in the words, the pages, the concepts. And then talking about them with my husband and sons, my parents and friends; about how they challenge me and help me grow and evolve. And how they can help me do more to make this world a better place. These ever-growing, always-changing stacks of books serve as a constant reminder of all there is still to read and learn which can feel overwhelming at times. But, more often, they soothe me, knowing that I will be comforted by that next phrase or passage and inspired by the author's anecdotes and wisdom. Like this quote from Brene Brown (another author in one of my piles): “At the end of the day, at the end of the week, at the end of my life, I want to say I contributed more than I criticized. It’s that simple.”
What’s in your pile?
t.ly/WL05
https://www.uua.org/
https://www.bu.edu/csc/edref/antiracism/
Dare to Lead: Brave Work. Tough Conversations. Whole Hearts.