Self-care is something you do for yourself to get through a challenge.   The challenge could be taking care of a loved one.  Whether you are taking care of a loved one, which could be a child, a mother, a father, another relative, or a friend.

One way I self-care is to read books.   And, to add icing to that cake…discuss the books with a group afterward.   Some groups, like the one I’m in, have older and younger members.   We only meet once a month at the Baltimore County Woodlawn Library from 6-7:30 p.m. on Thursday nights.  We are called the Page Turners and I’ve been in the group for over 3 years.

It can be so exhilarating to share your opinion with others on a book you’ve read in addition to giving you time away from whatever challenge you may face.  Although Covid caused us to resort to Zoom for the monthly meetings, as of last year we are resuming meeting in-person again.  Also, the librarians on occasion introduce us to new books.

Caregivers, our book club just finished reading the book, Black Cake, by Charmaine Wilkerson.  It is a wonderful adventure as well as a murder mystery.   The main character, Covey, a black champion surfer, is nearly forced to marry an island gangster much older than her to pay off her father’s debt.  She escapes only to be accused of murdering her husband-to-be.  The author takes you from the Caribbean to England to Canada and back. The action and the surfing never stop.  “Black Cake” is a Caribbean delicacy which actually is black.  In the story, people actually freeze the cake for years and often break off a piece for special occasions.

Another book I started on my own was a gift from another caregiver.  Marita Golden’s novel, The Wide Circumference of Love, is wonderful.   I started reading it a week ago.   It has a theme of a wife who confronts her husband’s Alzheimer’s when it should be a time when they can both retire and be traveling.   I learned a lot from the book so far.  It is both a romance and a mystery of Alzheimer’s disease—the onset and how it progresses, but it is not depressing.  It is upbeat considering the subject.  If you are going through this or a similar situation, it might be helpful to read the book.

Written by Rosa Griffin