Sweet Dreams

Happy Valentine's Day! There was an abundance of chocolate circulating the office today. I shared my wealth of French truffles that I got for Christmas from Elizabeth, and then chocolate came back to me - one of the afternoon clients brought me a box of Lindor chocolates. It all makes the decision to quit sugar challenging. We also got to have a piece of cake that was gifted from a grateful client. I saw many men walking down the street with bouquets.

My travels lately have been in Arizona, via a Barbara Kingsolver book, Animal Dreams. I officially am a member of a book club; I got to choose the first title and I was delighted about the notion of it being my favourite author. Animal Dreams is the story of a journey, of two sisters - one who goes to Nicaragua and the other who returns to her hometown. We hear the story of the Nicaragua-landed sister via letters and the remembrances of Codi, the other sister. Codi's journey is an internal one. This quote is shortly after her arrival in her childhood home. "I'd led such an adventurous life, geographically speaking, that people mistook me for an adventurer. They had no idea. I'd sell my soul and all my traveling shoes to belong some place."

There are many layers to this book, and weaved in an awakening to see one's life in a different way. The descriptions are compelling, and the prose is captivating. It has been aptly called, "rich, complex, witty."

"Animals dream about the things they do in the daytime, just like people do. If you want sweet dreams, you've got to live a sweet life."

I read this book many years ago when I was a flatlander. I borrowed it that first time from the library; it tugged at the employment counsellor in me - for it is all about dreams. Many years later when I got in my car, there was a copy of the book in my front seat. I queried everyone I knew who had been in my car but it remained unclaimed. So it got put on the shelf.

Years later, it again circled in my life. At my current workplace, as I was putting on my shoes, I saw Animal Dreams out of the corner of my eye on the bookshelf there. I gave a slight grin, in recognition of a companion who has travelled with me in my life.

So when I chose Animal Dreams for the book club's first selection, I knew where there were 2 copies.