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Back in 1999, a few days before I was leaving a leave replacement teaching job to begin a permanent third grade position in a different elementary school in the same district, a colleague and I began to chat about books we were reading and authors we loved. Spontaneously, we connected over our love of literature and decided to initiate a book club outside of school. She invited her cousin, I asked a close friend, which led to my one person bringing her friend, who brought her friend who invited a mutual friend. We were a group of avid readers who cleverly arranged our monthly meeting to be on Friday nights, benefiting from a reprieve from parenting and leaving husbands in charge. Until the pandemic hit, we met at one another living rooms, the host deciding on the book and providing after dinner treats and wine. Now we meet on zoom. Friday nights morphed to Thursday nights as our kids became independent. For years and years I kept a list of the books we’d read and a few comments about each so I’d remember the author, plot and my reactions. I haven’t updated my list in years and now it feels way too overwhelming a task. I calculate we’ve read close to 150 books together! When we started our conversations focused on the challenges and joys of being mommies, marriage, PTA and community issues. Now we chat about the sad state of our world, aging parents, grown children, grandchildren and the grey hairs we resent. We’ve endured the test of time: Three of us have had breast cancer, two of us survived foot surgery, one died of a brain tumor and we’ve lost too many parents and loved one amongst us. We’ve supported each other through divorces, weddings, funerals, shivers, births, new homes, homes for sale, yet we’ve all miraculously still live, for the most part, on Long Island, New York… at least, for now. Being a part of this group of these compassionate, supportive ladies encourages me to devour books I’d never choose to read on my own. They’ve taught me to be flexible and tolerant of differences. They’ve broadened my thinking and opened my mind, not just to what to buy at Trader’s Joes when entertaining, but of living life.
4 Comments
3/5/2021 01:00:32 pm
I love my book club! We call ourselves the Chapter Chicks. It started as four of us who worked together and grew to ten. We have been through so much together! Our routine sounds very similar to yours. Can’t wait until we can get back to being in person!
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3/5/2021 01:23:26 pm
I belong to an online book club through a group from my university. I know it's not the same as in person, but I enjoy it because I read books I migh not otherwise select.
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NYCBianca
3/5/2021 04:16:38 pm
That is pretty amazing. I used to feel that way about my running group. Friendships are so special.
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3/5/2021 06:04:43 pm
Love how you share books and life together. It is so interesting to see the conversations shift as we shift into different decades. So special to have this, Eva. I cherish my mother/daughter book group which eventually just became mothers. Our conversations have evolved. We used to talk about "Are you there, God, It's me Margaret" and girls getting their periods. Then we worried when they went off to college. Now we are women with grown daughters and tackle those other adult issues you mention. We're lucky to have these special groups.
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Eva KaplanSea glass, found on beaches, is naturally worn and smooth by tide and time,. As a wife, mother, Bubbe, teacher, reader & life-long learner, and of course, sea glass collector, I aspire to use writing to help me understand myself and the world around me. Archives
March 2024
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