Tuesday, September 2, 2014

Me Before You

I just finished reading Me Before You by Jojo Moyes on MC's recommendation. (Thank you, MC!) This is light reading for a weekend or holiday. Do yourself a favor and tuck some Kleenex in the back cover before you get started.

I liked this image:
"The thing about being catapulted into a whole new life--or at least, shoved up so hard against someone else's life that you might as well have your face pressed against their window--is that it forces you to rethink your idea of who you are."
Been there. It makes no difference whether what I see is beautiful or horrifying, I can't help but change.

This book made me think about who I was before, during and after I met B. While with Ben there was something about his behavior that was off--that I couldn't pinpoint. Now I know the reason I felt that way was because he was maintaining secret, separate lives with other women throughout our nine year relationship. I had no clue how pervasive the narcissistic and emotional abuse, and resulting anxiety was, or how far-reaching its effects, until it was all over.

In the last 20 days or so, I have felt an incredible calm, a clarity of mind, and watched in surprise as many elements of my life have fallen into place with minimal effort. What a welcome change! My friends have observed that I seem relaxed. I'm sleeping better than I have in years. My mind feels sharp.

Said another way, I feel like myself again. I am so relieved. So happy. I had gotten to a place where I thought I had lost any connection to this version of myself. I'm lucky to have found my way back.

No comments: