Phosphorescence
A Memoir of Finding Joy When Your World Goes Dark
Julia Baird
- “Both
- timeless
- and
- timely,
- this
- is
- a
- book
- of
- wisdom
- and
- wonder”
- (Geraldine
- Brooks,
- Pulitzer
- Prize–winning
- author
- of
- March),
- a
- deeply
- personal
- exploration
- of
- what
- can
- sustain
- us
- through
- our
- darkest
- moments.“What
- has
- fascinated
- and
- sustained
- me
- over
- these
- last
- few
- years
- has
- been
- the
- notion
- that
- we
- have
- the
- ability
- to
- find,
- nurture,
- and
- carry
- our
- own
- inner,
- living
- light—a
- light
- to
- ward
- off
- the
- darkness.
- This
- is
- not
- about
- burning
- brightly;
- it’s
- about
- yielding
- a
- more
- simple
- phosphorescence—being
- luminous,
- having
- stored
- light
- for
- later
- use.
- Staying
- alive,
- remaining
- upright,
- even
- when
- lashed
- by
- doubt.”After
- surviving
- a
- difficult
- heartbreak
- and
- battle
- with
- cancer,
- acclaimed
- author
- and
- columnist
- Julia
- Baird
- began
- thinking
- deeply
- about
- how
- we,
- as
- people,
- persevere
- through
- the
- most
- challenging
- circumstances.
- She
- started
- to
- wonder,
- when
- we
- are
- overwhelmed
- by
- illness,
- loss
- or
- pain,
- or
- a
- tragedy
- outside
- our
- control:
- How
- can
- we
- keep
- putting
- one
- foot
- in
- front
- of
- the
- other?
- Baird
- went
- in
- search
- of
- the
- magic
- that
- fuels
- the
- light
- within—our
- own
- phosphorescence.
- In
- this
- stunning
- book,
- she
- reflects
- on
- the
- things
- that
- lit
- her
- way
- through
- the
- darkness,
- especially
- the
- surprising
- strength
- found
- in
- connecting
- with
- nature
- and
- not
- just
- experiencing
- awe
- and
- wonder
- about
- the
- world
- around
- her,
- but
- deliberately
- hunting
- it,
- daily.Baird
- also
- writes
- about
- crossbeams
- of
- resilience:
- nurturing
- friendships
- and
- a
- quiet
- faith,
- pursuing
- silence,
- fighting
- for
- what
- she
- believes
- in,
- the
- importance
- of
- feeling
- small,
- learning
- from
- her
- mother's
- example
- of
- stoic
- grace.
- She
- also
- explores
- how
- others
- nurture
- their
- inner
- light,
- interviewing
- the
- founder
- of
- the
- modern
- forest
- therapy
- movement
- in
- Tokyo,
- a
- jellyfish
- scientist
- in
- Tasmania,
- and
- a
- tattooed
- priest
- from
- Colorado,
- among
- others.Weaving
- together
- candid
- and
- moving
- memoir
- with
- deep
- research
- and
- reflections
- on
- nature
- and
- the
- world
- around
- her,
- Baird
- inspires
- readers
- to
- embrace
- new
- habits
- and
- to
- adopt
- a
- phosphorescent
- outlook
- on
- life,
- to
- illuminate
- ourselves
- and
- our
- days—even
- in
- the
- darkest times.
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