From South Africa to Wako, Texas
I recently finished two inspiring reads that I feel compelled to share. Neither of these books are new, but I am very glad I finally decided to give them a chance.
The first book is Born a Crime, by Trevor Noah. This book is equal parts informative and soulful. Noah lays the context of his childhood by describing apartheid culture in South Africa, where people of different races are systematically pitted against each other and hatred is fostered so that those in power can maintain power.
Trevor's mother was a strong woman who ignored some of these structures, taking Noah to churches of different denominations, living in a white neighborhood, and exposing her son to a world outside of the invisible fence where he was supposed to stay. Trevor describes his journey of racial identification (being mixed), his scrappy entrepreneurial ventures as a child and teen, and ultimately why he decided to leave the bubble of South Africa and move to the United States.
This book is heart-wrenching and appalling. I found it eye-opening to envision a childhood so different from my own, and marveled at the strength of character both Trevor and his mother embodied in order to overcome so many hardships. This book is a true testament to the power of faith and how seeing beyond society's boundaries can set you free from them.
The second book is The Magnolia Story by Chip and Joanna Gaines. I listened to an audio version of this book while driving to and from work. Chip and Joanna take turns narrating, and hearing their voices made the story feel even more personal. The book goes from their individual childhoods, to how they first met, and continues on through dating, marriage, kids, and business ventures.
It's easy to assume that Chip and Joanna have the perfect marriage, or to be envious of their success when it appears that everything they touch turns golden--they're everywhere now: on magazines, displays in Target, Pier 1, HGTV. But of course a lot of hard work and struggle preceded the fame and fortune. Their story is told humbly, with lots of reflection and gratitude towards everyone who has helped them along the way. For many years of their marriage, in fact, Chip and Joanna were barely scraping by. A TV producer contacted them; having their own TV show was never the goal. In fact, they don't even own a TV!
What stood out to me the most was the way Chip and Joanna encouraged and supported each other's dreams and made tough choices based on intuition. (There are times they refer to God speaking to them, and I personally think this is the same thing as intuition; that intuition is God or the universe's way of communication to us.) Chip encouraged Jo to open her first shop, called Magnolia, and Jo trusted in Chip as he moved their family from house-to-house, sometimes buying the house without consulting her first. Later, Jo decides to close her successful shop in order to spend more time with her babies. This supposed ending turns into more of an ellipses, since she later re-opens and expands the store to even greater success. This story reminds me that life is winding and we never know how one thing will lead to another. Trust in your intuition and follow what inspires you, having faith that it will all work out as it is intended to.
Have you read either of these books? I'd love to hear your takeaways from them!
XOXO,
Maria
The first book is Born a Crime, by Trevor Noah. This book is equal parts informative and soulful. Noah lays the context of his childhood by describing apartheid culture in South Africa, where people of different races are systematically pitted against each other and hatred is fostered so that those in power can maintain power. Trevor's mother was a strong woman who ignored some of these structures, taking Noah to churches of different denominations, living in a white neighborhood, and exposing her son to a world outside of the invisible fence where he was supposed to stay. Trevor describes his journey of racial identification (being mixed), his scrappy entrepreneurial ventures as a child and teen, and ultimately why he decided to leave the bubble of South Africa and move to the United States.
This book is heart-wrenching and appalling. I found it eye-opening to envision a childhood so different from my own, and marveled at the strength of character both Trevor and his mother embodied in order to overcome so many hardships. This book is a true testament to the power of faith and how seeing beyond society's boundaries can set you free from them.
The second book is The Magnolia Story by Chip and Joanna Gaines. I listened to an audio version of this book while driving to and from work. Chip and Joanna take turns narrating, and hearing their voices made the story feel even more personal. The book goes from their individual childhoods, to how they first met, and continues on through dating, marriage, kids, and business ventures. It's easy to assume that Chip and Joanna have the perfect marriage, or to be envious of their success when it appears that everything they touch turns golden--they're everywhere now: on magazines, displays in Target, Pier 1, HGTV. But of course a lot of hard work and struggle preceded the fame and fortune. Their story is told humbly, with lots of reflection and gratitude towards everyone who has helped them along the way. For many years of their marriage, in fact, Chip and Joanna were barely scraping by. A TV producer contacted them; having their own TV show was never the goal. In fact, they don't even own a TV!
What stood out to me the most was the way Chip and Joanna encouraged and supported each other's dreams and made tough choices based on intuition. (There are times they refer to God speaking to them, and I personally think this is the same thing as intuition; that intuition is God or the universe's way of communication to us.) Chip encouraged Jo to open her first shop, called Magnolia, and Jo trusted in Chip as he moved their family from house-to-house, sometimes buying the house without consulting her first. Later, Jo decides to close her successful shop in order to spend more time with her babies. This supposed ending turns into more of an ellipses, since she later re-opens and expands the store to even greater success. This story reminds me that life is winding and we never know how one thing will lead to another. Trust in your intuition and follow what inspires you, having faith that it will all work out as it is intended to.
Have you read either of these books? I'd love to hear your takeaways from them!
XOXO,
Maria
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