This book is part memoir, part inspirational with a teensy bit of self-help thrown in for good measure.

I thought I'd love it because it has quite a few parallels to my own life.

Mother of two boys faces the fact that boys will soon be leaving the nest.
Mother of two moves to a new town and house.
Mother of two is my age. With a dog.
Mother of two likes nature.

I also thought I'd enjoy the book because I saw this fabulous video clip of an excerpt being read by the person who I presume was the author. Ok, first of all, the whole video clip was kind of a scam. It wasn't a contiguous excerpt (I found out), but more like a highlight reel. So, similar to when you see a film and the previews contained the best six clips - - so was this reading. And honestly, what was conveyed in the video was by far the best of the book as well as the entire message.

Kenison could have written this book to be so much shorter than it was. She must have repeated the same things in different ways at least six times a piece.

Let me save you the time of reading. Here are the messages. Appreciate each day. Live in the moment. Let your kids grow up and be their own people.

Yeah, original. I know.

I will say Kenison has the capability to turn a pretty phrase - - but to me, she feels like that kid in class who just LOVES to hear himself talk. It's overkill. Every description is just laden with imagery and adjectives - - and in the end, it simply felt like filler. Lots of filler.

She shares a few anecdotes about her sons, and for me, these were by far the most interesting parts. But they weren't very revealing. It was like she was being super careful not to embarrass them (which I do sort of understand), and as a result, it didn't feel all that real.

All in all, if you like a sappy, but prettily written, inspirational read - - reach for this. If you want something to cure you of insomnia - - you might also reach for this.

If you are looking for something that really speaks to the concept of living life in the moment, I think [b:A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose|76334|A New Earth Awakening to Your Life's Purpose|Eckhart Tolle|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1388206232s/76334.jpg|2567181] is much, much better - - but also harder to read. ( )

Although saying that a book put you to sleep would normally be an insult, in this case it's not. An insomniac of the racing mind variety, I have spent many a late night with Katrina Kenison (who, funnily enough, is a very early riser) lately, and her musings and wisdom about mothering and life at middle age never failed to soothe me enough to make me able to let go of the day. She writes incredibly well and perceptively herself, but also weaves in quotes and insights from other authors that illuminate her points perfectly, and make me want to go back and read some of their works too. I think I'm headed straight into her next book, "Magical Journey: An Apprenticeship in Contentment," from here, and am grateful to have stumbled on this author. ( )

Quite a different read for me. I am very thankful that someone gave me this book as a gift or otherwise I would not have picked it up. I think it changed my outlook on some things. ( )

Could not get into this book, thus I gave it a good try-out for about 50 pages and put it away. ( )

I am not really sure how to rate or review this book. The book seems to ramble. At times, it is also a bit preachy. Yet, parts of it and the idea of it really touched my heart. It seems to flow as a "stream of consciousness" from one thing to another. Yet the central ideas of longing and growing are constant. The ideas for me win out and make it a memorable book. ( )