Gift

There are books you pick up and books you put down, there are books that sit on your shelf for years as you contemplate reading them and as they gather dust. Then there are books that come to you at exactly the right time, and if you didn't know better, you'd think it was just a coincidence.

Eat, Pray, Love was recommended to me by Katherine, a woman I met only once and who is a visitor of The Half Note and fellow New Yorker. She said the book reminded her of me, and as I began to read it, I realized I could never write a novel because Elizabeth Gilbert has already written it.

I must confess, I've been going through an intensely painful but important time in recent weeks, things that, at least for now, I am unable and unwilling to share here on the blog. This book has offered me profound comfort and many laughs, and I just wanted to thank Katherine B. for being the kind soul who was compelled to email me one day and offer a suggestion that turned into a gift.