“I thought that nothing enormously bad or good had happened to me during my life. All the normal things had occurred. I had lived a completely unremarkable life. I wanted only my home, and the love and safety of those around me, nothing else. I knew there was no particular reason why I was put on this earth, but here I was and I was glad to be here, awed by the beauty of it. It was a perfect moment.”⠀
This book completely shattered me. The story was beautiful and felt genuine and real. This story could reflect your parent’s, grandparents; or future you.
To be with someone for more than 30 years; and knowingly you it is the end of the road; the journey is almost over and you cannot do anything about it because it is the circle of life. What would you do? How would you spend the time left with this person on earth?
An elderly take on a road trip on their leisure seeker the RV. Ella suffers from Cancer and her husband John has Alzheimer’s. In need for one last getaway to Disneyland, even when the doctors and their adult children advised them not to due to health problems; They basically ran away from their own home.
As young kids we never really cared about what others thought of us; how clumsy or messy we looked. As we grow older we start to build this facade that only helps us feeling accepted and validated by others. When you grow even more older; you begin again not caring about what people think of you. When in reality people don’t really think. They presume, pre judge you and make ready assumptions about you; without even taking the time to get to know you. Older you will get that and understand it well; as you will act on it as well; Living your life according to your wants/needs, likes/dislikes; without a care in the world or how will it look like to others.
This rushed life will only hurt us in the end. You may ask why? We might be taking loads of photos and doing things but we are not mentally there; We are always thinking of ‘what’s next’ And this my dear, will leave us with so little memories.
The Leisure Seeker is the name of the RV that John and Ella used for their family road trips over the years.
We follow John and Ella’s journey from the moment they leave until they arrive Disneyland. The book was filled with good memories shared between John and Ella. There were a lot of funny moments, sad moments, good and happy ones. The ending was heart breaking and I still can’t get over. ⠀
This book made me realize why I need to start creating more beautiful moments and be all the way there. 100% of me should be where I am physically. Reading ‘The Power of Now’ has helped for sure.
This book is a reminder that being an old person means you are left with nothing but memories. The more you have them the better company you had.
Not your money, or things, or position in life/work/social status. Will help you when you’re old and grey. When you are 60+ with almost no memories; or good people around you to help you in this time. You have lost big time.
This book was a message for me to focus more on my circle., To be more forgiving and lean. To allow myself to truly enjoy life, with everything all that is given/or not given to me.
You worry about your parents, siblings, spouses dying, yet no one prepares you for your friends dying. Every time you flip through your address book, you are reminded of it—she’s gone, he’s gone, they’re both gone. Names and numbers and addresses scratched out. Page after page of gone, gone, gone. The sense of loss that you feel isn’t just for the person. It is the death of your youth, the death of fun, of warm conversations and too many drinks, of long weekends, of shared pains and victories and jealousies, of secrets that you couldn’t tell anyone else, of memories that only you two shared.
The author’s writing was simply beautiful. The story was delightful. Loved how Michael Zadoorian balanced between the humor, the romance and the depressing part of course. This is the first book I read by him and definitely not my last. I ended up crying when it was done. The story ends with such a heartbreak. It will truly make you wonder whether it was a wrong thing to do… or was it ok?
Book Details
Author: Michael Zadoorian
Pages: 290
There is also a movie adaptation. I have seen it. It is beautiful. Whether you watch the movie or read the book; you can’t help yourself from sobbing…
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