I have found my new best friend – but she doesn’t know it!
Logged into Amazon (again), and the mystery of algorithms performed magic. In the section suggesting books I might like, I was sucked in with the title – “Make My Life Simple: Bringing Peace to Heart and Home.” Yes! Please make my life simple and bring me peace!
I read the description of the book and was instantly attracted to it. However, I had recently picked up some other books, and I tend to buy more than I ever get around to reading. I vowed to do better, but in the dark of night, I felt the book calling my name. I browsed for it a few times before finally taking the plunge. Then I eagerly awaited for my Prime 2-day delivery to arrive. It has been sitting on my nightstand, traveling in my purse, and keeping me company in those quiet moments I hope the kids don’t find me hiding in the bathroom.
The author, Rachel Balducci, is a Catholic writer and talk show host, in addition to mom and wife. Rachel resonated with me because she is one of the few authors in a season that is similar to mine. I have six kiddos, as does she, with the oldest in college and the youngest in elementary school. Keeping organized with such a span is not easy!
Rachel is delightfully authentic in the struggles and the wins of her daily family life. She shares her wisdom with the casualness of your best friend chatting with you over coffee, but with there is so much depth in her lessons that you want to take notes and scribble in the margins (which I did!). Once you start the book, you just don’t want to put it down. Her mix of charm, self-awareness, humor, and honesty is wonderfully engaging. Rachel says things like, “Keeping your bathroom clean can make you a saint”, and goes on to share how our abundant lives are meant to bring us closer to Jesus.
The book was surprisingly thin, but chockablock full of information organized in a logical and easy to read manner. The book is divided into three core sections: Home, Personal, and Spiritual. Rachel shares seasons of her life, lessons discovered along the way, and what she implemented in her family while never making this a book that tells you step-by-step what to do for success. Each section builds upon the prior which matches her suggestions and priorities to bring that much-desired simplicity and peace. While she sets guidelines, she also respects that every family and every mother is unique, and how to apply the tips has to fit you. While I love books with checklists that tell me exactly what to do, I always have to adjust things to my reality. This book gave me great ideas while never making it an “all or nothing” method.
I recommend this book to mothers in any season of life – there are nuggets of wisdom for all! And, if I must, I’ll share my new best friend (who still doesn’t know she is my best friend), so you too can be inspired and encouraged to make those small changes to your day to bring about simplicity and peace.
I hope you grab a coffee, tuck into a cozy corner of your home, and enjoy the book as much as I did!
xoxo
Catherine