Book Balm for the Soul

"We read to know we are not alone." ~C.S. Lewis

I’ll tell you up front that this is a longer post, but I’ll also explain that the second half of it serves as a reference that can be scanned.  And given that I could have sat and written about books I love all afternoon, it really is brief!

In Some of My Best Friends are Books: Guiding Gifted Readers from Pre-School to High School, Judith Wynn Halsted identifies two definitions of bibliotheraphy: one being clinical for the purpose of people facing emotional problems and the other being developmental and addressing those who are experiencing life transitions. As we’ve established in earlier posts, unique travelers may experience challenges related to their characteristics.  Though these characteristics can often be misunderstood as problems to be fixed, we like to think of them as qualities to be managed.  Bibliotherapy can help the unique traveler understand characteristics so that they can better manage them.

Halsted lists five emotional and intellectual needs of the gifted: 

• Having a sense of identity that includes being gifted
• Understanding their need for time alone
• Learning to get along with others
• Finding the best way to make use of their abilities
• Acknowledging and satisfying their drive to understand

While books can simply be a great escape for an individual who doesn’t easily fit into the world around her, Halsted also suggests the following benefits of reading fiction:

• A great author can “hook” kids emotionally thus making them more open to ideas and lessons they might otherwise be reluctant to receive from parents and teachers 
• The opportunity to empathize with characters in a book which can lead to catharsis for the child who is unable or unwilling to share emotional difficulties
• Insights into personal experiences.

There are also benefits of reading non-fiction in the form of biographies: 

• Young readers see that often many failures occur on the road to success, thus encouraging risk-taking that can be halted by perfectionism 
• The reader can see the positive manifestations of characteristics such as drive, energy and curiosity and how they contribute to achievement 
• Kids can relate to and learn from eminent individuals such as Marie Curie who struggled with feeling isolated and lonely

Bibliotherapy is not just for kids and teens.  In fact, if you are a reader, I would suggest that you’ve already received some of the benefits listed above.  I would also suggest that kid’s literature as well as adult literature has the potential to offer a balm for your soul.  So whether you’re the parent of a gifted child, a grown-up who was identified gifted as a child or a unique traveler who is just getting the lay of the land, I encourage you to consider how literature might help you in the ever-unfolding development of the very best you.

As food for thought, I’ve created a short list of some sources that have had a particularly profound impact on me.  From time to time, I’ll offer some other reading suggestions that may serve as bibliotherapy material.  What I would love most, however, is to hear from you about which books, articles and films have inspired you to embrace who you are and to create a life you find well worth living.  Please consider sharing your suggestions here!  

Balm for the Soul:

  

• As a late teen when reading The Member of the Wedding by Carson McCullers, the main character, Frankie, was someone I could relate to.  The adolescent protagonist becomes deeply involved in over-imagining her role as a member of her older brother’s wedding.  In her deep desire to be a significant part of something large and important, Frankie believes that she will go live with her brother and sister-in-law once they are married.  She says, “They are the we of me.”  This character demonstrates imaginational and emotional intensities and exemplifies the depth to which unique travelers experience everyday occurrences and the resulting emotions.  There is also a scene in which Frankie rolls around on the floor in front of her house servant and her younger cousin in a fit of what I’ve come to call weird energy—what results when, rather than freely expressing who you are, you wear a mask in an attempt to fit in.  All that energy has to escape at some point!

• In Journal of a Solitude, American poet, novelist and memoirist May Sarton writes about her home and life in rural New Hampshire.  She sketches out her days which include writing, gardening, correspondence and solitude.  Though Sarton does not sugarcoat the challenges of introversion and sensitivity (she doesn’t explicitly name these characteristics, but it takes one to know one), she also demonstrates how rich and fulfilling a life that nurtures these qualities can be.  She creates her own life worth living!  In my early twenties, reading this journal helped me begin to understand that a need to be alone was not so much selfish as essential.

• Early in my teaching career I discovered the article "Is It a Cheetah?" by Stephanie Tolan.  Though she writes about the highly gifted here, I think she speaks to anyone who has had their educational and emotional needs marginalized and misunderstood.  As the parent of a highly gifted child and a gifted adult herself, she offers insight into why one may not reach his potential and what might change so that he can.  You may be surprised by the emotional impact of this short analogy in the form of an article—many with whom I have shared it have.

• The French film Seraphine is about Seraphine Louis, known as “Seraphine de Senlis” (1864-1942).  She was a self-taught French painter in the naïve style who was said to be “an artist consumed by an irrepressible urge to create.”  Though it has been observed that she walked a fine line between impassioned artist and mentally ill, her focus on finding the materials and time needed to create are inspiring.  She is a perfect example of one who frequently enters a state of flow as well as one whose need to follow her passion is more important than what others think about her.  For many years, films about artists and writers—those who manage to break away from society's stifling expectations to live their truth--have encouraged me to ask myself, “How are you defining what is possible and what is right?”

• Last summer, I picked up a copy of Anne of Green Gables written by L. M. Montgomery in 1908.  A couple of friends had talked about their love for the book and I finally got around to reading it. It is the story of Anne Shirley, an intense red-headed 11-year-old orphan who is adopted by a family on Prince Edward Island.  Though written over 100 years ago, save a few details about lifestyle, dress and society, it is a timeless story.  What is most wonderful about the book is that Anne’s highly active imagination, her deep love of beauty and nature, her tendency toward fast talking and kinetic energy are celebrated and accepted.  Anne is a fabulous example of an independent and sensitive character who lives life fully.  When I was done with the book, I couldn’t believe it had taken me so long to find Anne.

What books, films or stories have helped you to better understand yourself and proved a balm for the soul?  If you, unique traveler, have benefited, there is surely someone else here who will, too.  Don’t be stingy—share!