Audiobooks, ebooks, “book” books, fiction, fantasy, romance, YA, NA, the occasional mystery or thriller, topped off with a memoir and self-help book here and there: I just love them. New reading, re-reading, audio reading, physical reading: yes please, and thank you.
Is there anything better than sinking into a delicious book you just love? That you can’t wait to get back to, that you think about when you’re not reading?
There is so much power in stories. I love reading for many reasons, including opportunities for growth, learning, entertainment, escapism, perspective, and reflection. I love seeing myself in stories, learning about others, considering different perspectives and identities. Or, as we think about in education: mirrors, windows, and sliding glass doors.
One thing I love looking for in stories is the connections between the themes, ideas, and character tropes in one story and how they show up in another. Like many of my bookish friends, I’ve been recently swept away by the Empyrean Series by Rebecca Yarros, including Fourth Wing and Iron Flame. How could I not be, when in stepping into that world I feel distinct echoes of Game of Thrones, Harry Potter, Divergent, Twilight, A Court of Thorns and Roses, the Hunger Games, the Selection, and every enemies-to-lovers book I’ve ever read? That’s not even to mention the commentary on what happens when history is erased or changed, and the power that lies in being the keeper of information.
I digress. Here’s what I really came here to say:
Time and again, in book after book, movie after movie, show after show, story after story, so many have one major idea in common: and that is, above all, love is what matters most.
Yes, I know that sounds completely sappy, but hear me out.
The reason this theme is so often repeated is because of its truth, its timelessness, its universality. It matters, in ways big and small, to all of us.
Furthermore, this literary theme is so powerful because there are realtime examples all around us, all the time. Life imitating art, and art imitating life.
It’s there in the people I know expecting a long-awaited baby, or being surprised by a pregnancy they didn’t think could happen.
It’s there in the memory of a beloved father, friend, brother, uncle – now gone, but leaving the wisdom of the importance of spending your life with the people you love and the things that make you happy.
It’s there in the heartache of loved ones turning away from loved ones, perhaps not realizing that time is finite.
It’s there in the courage of a friend, putting her career on hold, and sacrificing in order to spend time caring for her family, and caring for herself, too.
It’s there in the friend bravely steadying herself to leap into a possible new career, and embrace what makes her happy.
It’s there in the friend who has been beaming with happiness to have her beloved parents making an extended visit after years of not seeing each other.
It’s there in the faith and trust of a friend supporting her children’s dreams, and how she embraces their adventures.
It’s there in the shocking news of a terrible diagnosis for the amazing, strong woman who is far too young to bear this burden. And it’s there in the love of the friends that swiftly and steadfastly rallied around her.
It’s there in so many reminders from both life and literature, that life makes no promises and time is not guaranteed.
In the end, it is our health, our happiness, our people, and our love that matters most.
The medium, the genre, the setting, the plot, and the characters may change, but the message remains the same. Be happy. Take care of yourself. Spend time with your people.
Love is the moral of the story.
Mazerly Musings 
One response to “The Moral of the Story”
Ah, what a beautiful reflection to come back to this morning. Love is the theme, even when it is laced with heartbreak. Thank you for your post.
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