A Roundup of Books that Keep me Grounded
I’ve been thinking about recharging, lately. In Michigan, February is a tough month. We’re over winter. To clarify - winter isn’t over, WE are over it! Any fun and magic that come with the first few snows, has long since been packed away with our Christmas decorations. It’s cold, windy, and often grey. February is like the Wednesday of winter - too far from the weekend to get excited! Last Sunday, however, the skies cleared and the sun came out. I find all of life is just easier when the sun is out. It wasn’t terribly warm, mid-40s and windy, but the sunshine made all the difference.
For me, being able to get outside and stand in the sun is hugely reenergizing. Fresh air, in general, helps me, but nothing beats a bright blue sky!
That got me thinking about my penchant for nature books or any book that helps me slow down, process, and think deeply about my life and place on this planet. When my life feels stressful, chaotic, or out-of-control, I find myself retreating to a few favorite authors. Authors whose words ground me, quite literally, through descriptions of nature, meditation, or slower times. These are books that you don’t read as much as you experience. The words of these authors wash through your soul. With this in mind, I thought I’d offer a round-up of a few of my go-to books:
These four have been my standbys for years. I’ve read each multiple times and find myself yearning for these words during difficult times. My copies of these are used, dog-eared, written in, and, let’s just say, well-loved.
The Goodreads summary: Her most acclaimed volume of poetry, American Primitive contains fifty visionary poems about nature, the humanity in love, and the wilderness of America, both within our bodies and outside.
I don’t think you can go wrong with any tidbit of Mary Oliver. This book (well, selections from it) was first introduced to me in a college English class. At the time, of course, I gave her poems an academic read. Studying them in preparation for an essay or exam. Many years later, a friend mentioned her and I dug the book out to give it a proper re-read. I haven’t been the same since. Her way with words is mesmerizing. She has the ability to paint such a strong, emotional picture that her work is just as fulfilling as an actual walk through nature.
Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer
The Goodreads summary: As a botanist, Robin Wall Kimmerer has been trained to ask questions of nature with the tools of science. As a member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation, she embraces the notion that plants and animals are our oldest teachers. In Braiding Sweetgrass, Kimmerer brings these lenses of knowledge together to show that the awakening of a wider ecological consciousness requires the acknowledgment and celebration of our reciprocal relationship with the rest of the living world.
Upon my first reading, I loved this book. Then, in a nature group, I’m in online, someone mentioned that the audiobook was amazing because it’s read by the author. So I downloaded it on Audible and, yes, that’s a game-changer. It’s beautiful and thoughtful and, at times, funny, but hearing it in Robin’s own voice makes it feel more like a conversation with a wonderful aunt or neighbor, than just a book to be read.
The Selected Poems of Wendell Berry
The Goodreads summary: The rich work in this volume reflects the development of Berry’s poetic sensibility over four decades. Focusing on themes that have occupied his work for years--land and nature, family and community, tradition as the groundwork for life and culture.
My first introduction to Wendell Berry was actually an essay of his that was referenced at a cheesemaking workshop I attended many years ago. (Now there’s a sentence, right?) Everyone at the workshop was interested in homesteading and sustainability. One participant mentioned Wendell Berry and several others nodded in understanding, so the next chance I got, I grabbed a copy of Bringing It to the Table: On Farming and Food, a collection of essays about food, farming, and the food industry. I liked it so much that I went back to the library to see what else he had written and found this. Then, not too long after, I found a copy of it at a used bookstore and snatched it up right away. Berry has a way of magnifying the small and otherwise insignificant and making those things beautiful and, well, significant.
You Are Here by Thich Nhat Hanh
The Goodreads summary: In this book, Thich Nhat Hanh, the renowned Zen monk, author, and meditation master, distills the essence of Buddhist thought and practice, emphasizing the power of mindfulness to transform our lives.
This book came to me through an Instagram post a few years ago and has quickly because a regular on my nightstand. It was actually a Thich Nhat Hanh quote about mindfulness that came across my feed. I found it touching and sought out the author to learn more. Hanh has several books about Buddhism and meditation. This one is important to me because it truly introduced me to the concept of mindfulness, in a deep way. I’ll admit, I’m terrible at it. I respond impulsively and from my gut, always, but am always wishing to develop the habit of slowing down. Hanh’s advice is accessible and his sentences are like poetry in and of themselves. I may deliberate over only a page or two at a time, reading slowly and allowing the concepts to ruminate. In a way, reading this book, IS a practice in mindfulness.
So those are the heavy hitters. Those are the words I turn to during dark times, when I’m feeling lost, when I’m questioning who I am and my direction in life. They don’t provide answers, but they do provide grounding.
For me, an understanding of nature gives me a sense of peace. A feeling of control in a chaotic world. When it feels like nothing makes sense, I find the interconnectedness of ecosystems comforting. When It feels like everything is going wrong, a reminder of how complex, yet efficient, nature can be, is reassuring. It’s nice to know that things were working just fine before us and they will continue on, without us. It minimizes my importance, which can be calming. Here are a few more books that I’ve loved. They’ve all given me a deeper understanding of the world and my place within it. They aren’t as poetic as the four above, but all great reads.
