Sorrowed Souls by Brenda Youngerman

I received Sorrowed Souls this past Friday from the author.  When I began reading it, I did not want to put it down.  I was half way thru the book before I realized I was so tired that I was barely keeping my eyes open.  I forced myself to mark my place and wait until the next day to continue on.

Summary:  The book basically covers the lives of four people: Amy, Bryan, Gus and Mark.  It depicts how each person came to be, what their family was like as they grew up, where life took them after graduation and brings you to their current day situation.  In the beginning, it appears that all four people are not connected.  However, as you read, one-by-one they do connect and their lives do intertwine.

My Thoughts:  Reading this book made me feel sadness and joy.  It has also caused me to think about those less fortunate than me.  Yes, everybody is having difficulty in their life: their bosses aren't fair, they get taken for granted at work, they have one car to share between two people, etc.  We need to realize, though, that no matter how bad we think our life is, there is always someone who has it worse than we do.

Not only that, but one of this book's messages is something that I always try to remember ... You always need to be nice to people.  Not because it's the right thing to do, although that is a good reason, but because you never know what people are going through or where they've been.  The only things people show you about themselves are what they want you to see.  There's always more lying under the surface of a person that make up who they are ... whether it's good or bad.

So often we misjudge people because we don't like the way they look, or dress, or smell ... Maybe the clothes they put on that morning was all they had.  People also cannot help their genetic makeup ... so why would you even find it funny that someone has bigger lips than you, or their nose is bigger, or their eyes are close together, or they have Downs Syndrome, or any number of things that cannot be helped?

This book also makes you realize the importance of family.  Many times a person's family is taken for granted.  We expect them to love us regardless of how we treat them, how often we ignore their silent cries for affection ... a kiss, a hug, holding their hand ... Nothing is more important than family.  When you have nobody else in this world, you should always have your family.  Family will stand by you when nobody else will.  Point being?  Do not let your job come before your family.  Be there for those special 'firsts' in life.  Be there for family dinners.  Be there for school events.  Life is too short and you don't want to look back with regrets.

In case you've not been able to tell, I loved this book.  I love books that make me think and challenge me as a person.

Thank you, Brenda, for writing this book and telling this story.  You have reminded me about simple human decency and how important it is for everyone to take part.