First of all…how pretty is this book?!? And I have to say that the inside matches the outside in that this book is delightful. It truly is my favorite book that Melanie Shankle has written to date. I have followed Melanie’s blog for several years now and I have always enjoyed her writing style and her sense of humor.
This book is a fun memoir that reminds us that it is the small things in life that really matter. In this day and age of social media when it’s easier than ever to see glimpses into people’s lives and think they are doing bigger and better things while you seem stuck in a rut and doing the same mundane tasks over and over again, this book reminds us that the small things really do matter. She shares real life experiences that have helped to shape her into who she is today. As with all of Melanie’s writing she makes you laugh and cry while at the same time sharing some sort of spiritual lesson within her story.
One of my favorite stories in the book was when she told the story of the boy with the five loaves and two fishes. She talked about how while the mom was packing his normal everyday lunch, the mom didn’t know that this was going to be transformed into a miracle and used to feed 5,000 people. She didn’t know that this miracle would be read about and talked about hundreds of years later…all she did was pack a little boy’s normal everyday lunch. Small things matter…small things turn into big things.
This book was a breath of fresh air at the perfect time for me. At this stage in my life all it feels like I’m doing are small things…get up, get us out the door for work/daycare, pick up the girls, fix dinner/feed Claire, baths and pjs, bedtime and then get up and do it ALL over again. It seems so monotonous and mundane, but this book helped to give me a fresh perspective in that all these little things matter. Someday my girls will look back and not remember just the big things in life, but the small things like me making their favorite dinner for them or me just going outside and catching fireflies with them at dusk. These everyday little things that you think are small and meaningless right now will mean something special and precious in years to come.
I think this book would make a good gift idea for any special woman in your life for any occasion. I know I am personally going to buy quite a few copies to keep on hand to give as gifts. Also, this is one book that will have a permanent place on my bookshelf. I see myself reading it over and over in years to come, when I need some encouragement and motivation to remember that the small everyday moments in life matter.
Until next time…keep it simple!
Lindsey
**This book was sent to me free of charge for my honest review from the publisher. All opinions are my own.**
