You shouldn’t judge a book by its cover…

You shouldn’t judge a book by its cover…but I think you can probably tell a lot about an individual by the books on their shelves.

Here’s a little selection of the ones that sit right above my desk. Some are like old friends I go back to time and time again to check things over with and get advice. Others are new comers, and others are the experts who keep me on the right path. The ones that speak to my sole are those written by those walking a similar path.

#LivedExperience it’s not a buzz word as so many might see it. It’s the realities of digging deep each day and facing the world. Walking forward one step at a time. Keeping hope, even in those darkest moments when hope seems to have died along with all other light. Then suddenly it rains, a rainbow 🌈 appears and your back into the sunlight. For some the storms are momentary and passing, for others they seems to last for days, weeks, months or even years. That’s when as caregivers we need community. Others to walk with us, to cheer us on, to shine a light when we can’t pick up the torch 🔦 for ourselves.

I think most people agree that parenting is the hardest job anyone dose. For those of us parenting an individual who is neurodivergent, be that with #FASD and/or another condition, diagnosis or otherwise, we are always second guessing ourselves, trying to put ourselves in the place of our young person, seeing the world from their perspective. For me I’ve learnt that it’s my own expectation and understanding that needs to be adjusted, not trying to change who they are.

We all need more compassion for one another in this world. Adapt the environment not change the person. You don’t tell the plant that’s not flowering to just get on with it and flower, you change its environment, nurture and nourish it, and the plant beings to grown and flowers. The same is true for every individual. So don’t judge what you see on the outside. Don’t judge just by the exterior. The cover maybe masking a lot more going on underneath.

You don’t tell the plant that’s not flowering to just get on with it and flower, you change its environment, nurture and nourish it, and the plant beings to grown and flowers.

At the same time the cover indicates how well worn, used and read the book has been. It tells a story of the book’s journey. Just as our exteriors (behaviours, language, presentation) tell a story of our journeys through life.

So take a look today. What’s on your shelf? What does that tell you about yourself and where you are in life? Do you like me have different piles of books 📚 for different parts of your life? I’d love you to share your book piles with me. I’ll be sharing some more over the coming days.

What’s on your shelf?