Some books just break your heart.

This past Christmas I received a Kindle Fire as a gift from my wife.  While looking through it and getting familiar with it I saw the books I have downloaded in the past.  The Kindle Fire has the advantage of graphics that show the book cover.  There I saw the book "Broken for You" by Stephanie Kallos.  It had been at least a couple of years since I had read it so I embarked on the read once again.

Oh my.  I had forgotten the depth of emotions this book engendered in me.  It is quite an examination of life and love, pain and loss, hope and sorrow.  I am 'enjoying' it but, Oh! does it hurt!  This morning I was eating breakfast at my favorite local eatery, The Duck In, and to my surprise came upon a passage that brought me to instant tears.  I covered my face with the Kindle certain that no one in the place could understand why a 60 year old man, reading a book on a Kindle, would suddenly be fighting back tears.  Of course this caused the Kindle to do some interesting things that I had to learn how to undo, but it was a handy 'port in a storm'.  Funny thing is that the line that got me was this, "Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair."  Lest you think I am losing it, this line was metaphor for a woman locked in her tower of isolation and self-imposed loneliness being beckoned forth from one who understood and wanted to set her free.  It was a powerful moment.  I am still feeling it's strength and touch.  It is one reason I so love books.

Thank you for reading.  It is my chance to try and use the medium of the written word to communicate something real.  It is such a fascinating world and to be alive in such is not to be wasted or squandered.  In "Broken for You" the main character is finally spurred to action by impending death.  I want to take action (within my Scandinavian roots of course - so it may actually not look like action) motivated not so much by death but by love.

Guess I'm still thinking through the appeal to "Rapunzel".