A book is a good one when a person can relate to it, and such is the case with My Buddha Wears Bifocals. In this collection of 50+ short stories, Kathleen Sands gives us an insightful glimpse into the realities, the hopes, and the dreams of midlife, from her late 40s to mid-60s.
Ms. Sands was born in Brooklyn, New York. From New York to St. Pete Beach, with many twists and turns in between, this wonderful and insightful read emerged. Each chapter is much more than the sum of its pages; it is the story beyond the words that gently forces us to examine our own lives. You may find yourself saying, “Yes, I get that.”
As women, we have great examples of those who forged roads that made our lives better, such as, Susan B. Anthony and Golda Meir. Go here to find out about Woman who made a difference, http://www.unspecial.org/2012/03/women-who-made-a-difference/
Women who make a difference are everywhere, not just in the history books. As Ms. Sands so eloquently says, ‘We are the heroine in our own script’. Sands’ script includes oldest daughter, married young, divorced, fulfilled the dream of obtaining a Doctorate in Education, illness, pain, grief, and much more. Sands started writing about her experiences as a means to put them in perspective. These writings eventually culminated into a compelling read that captures difficult challenges over a span of 15 years. In my perspective, that persistence and dedication, puts Sands in the ‘difference’ category.
Creativity can come at any age, and as Sands tells us, midlife is full of opportunities to try things you wanted to do before but never found the time or courage to pursue, to spread your wings, test the waters, and get to know who you really are.
Sands’ life seems to exemplify the Oscar Wilde quote, ‘Be yourself, everyone else is taken.’ One woman, many lives, begs many questions: What now? Who now? How do I find my higher self?
Sands says of her book: “In this book I have told stories of my life – some happy, some sad, some funny, some, as with anyone’s life, a combination of all three.”
But I now know that it is not only the outcome that determines how or why we come to love our stories, We come to love our stories, precisely because they are our own – to live, to learn from and to share.
I think that sums it up very nicely. Read My Buddha Wears Bifocals and you will see things a lot more clearly.
Buy the book at https://www.google.com/#q=my+buddha+wears+bifocals or at Amazon, http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=my+buddha+wears+biofocals.
Book review by Sharon Lee Schroeder