I have found a great sense of comfort and wisdom from reading memoirs. I love hearing people’s stories and how their lives unfold. I can see a glimpse of how people live in various time periods, cultures and circumstances. I have the privilege of entering into the minds, thoughts and emotions of other people and to expand my own world.
I began reading memoirs in order to make more sense out of my own life. When working through my own challenges, including health problems and family issues, I found that I didn’t always have the skills in order to sort through it. As I started to read other people’s stories, I began to feel less alone, laughed more, and had more hope. I realized that most successful people have gone through numerous challenges and failures, but continued to move forward in spite of it. I could enter people’s stories, and like an AA meeting, could take what I want and leave the rest. A story allows me to listen, absorb, change and challenge my own thinking.
For the past five years or so I have been logging some of my favorite memoirs. Many of these are memoirs of mental and physical recovery, relief organizations, famous people, war, history, and people from all over the world. I will begin sharing this list in a new section called Reading. I hope you will be inspired as much as I have.
Elissa
Chronic Pain Journals 