Books, Music, Podcasts, Library Adventures

New Library Stack and Option B

tierneycreates: a fusion of textiles and smiles

NEW Library Stack

I am ready to continue my ongoing series, The Library Stack, sharing my stack of borrowed books from my local public library. This is my first stack from my NEW local library in the Denver greater metro area!

I live within walking distance of a public library branch and last week I wandered over and selected my first stack! It was so fun to walk back home with my stack:

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So far I’ve finished browsing through the books The Quilting Arts Idea Book by Vivika Hansen Denegre and Global Bohemian by Fifi O’Neill. I enjoyed both of these books immensely! Lots of art quilt and decorating inspiration!

As my library is so close, I will probably keep my library stacks small instead of the mega library stacks I used to borrow from previous Central Oregon public library (which I transported home by car). I love the idea of being able to quickly walk to the library!

Option B

It’s been a while since I shared a recent audiobook listen and I am currently listening to a fantastic audiobook (borrowed from the library of course) – Option B: Facing Adversity, Building Resistance, and Finding Joy by Sheryl Sandberg and Adam Grant.

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If Sheryl Sandberg’s name sounds familiar, she is the former Google executive and Facebook Chief Operations Officer who wrote the wildly popular book Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead. Several years following her success from that book and becoming an internationally known speaker, writer and business mogul, her beloved husband suddenly and unexpectedly passed, just like how I lost my husband in December 2018.

This book is about how she faced her grief, rebuilt her life and achieved “post-traumatic growth”. The interesting thing is I tried to read this book over a year ago (before my loss) and lost interest in it after a couple chapters. Now I am devouring it and gaining a lot of insight.

I can relate on so many level to what Sheryl Sandberg shares in her first hand account of experiencing one of the most awful things that can happen to you – losing your life partner. I do not think I was ready to read/listen to this book until now. I like to think that the Universe is helping give me what I need when I am ready for it.

What is Option B? Well Option A would be for your loved one to still be alive. But Option A is not available. So you have to find your Option B.

“Option A is not available. so let’s just kick the sh*t out of Option B.”
“Life is never perfect. We all live some form of Option B.”

I will close out this post with a couple additional quotes from this powerful book.

“Resilience comes from deep within us and from support outside us. It comes from gratitude for what’s good in our lives and from leaning in to the suck. It comes from analyzing how we process grief and from simply accepting that grief. Sometimes we have less control than we think. Other times we have more. I learned that when life pulls you under, you can kick against the bottom, break the surface, and breathe again.”

“…post-traumatic growth could take five different forms: finding personal strength, gaining appreciation, forming deeper relationships, discovering more meaning in life, and seeing new possibilities.”

“Some things in life cannot be fixed. They can only be carried.”

Finally, here is one of my favorite quotes from the book so far:

“I am more vulnerable than I thought, but much stronger than I ever imagined.”

Published by tierneycreates: a fusion of textiles and smiles

Quilter, crafter, obsessive tea drinker and lover of all furry creatures (especially dogs and cats) - join me on my tierneycreates blog as I share stories from "A Crafter's Life".

17 thoughts on “New Library Stack and Option B”

  1. I love libraries! I hadn’t been to one since uni though but recently visited my local library again! They have such a good selection of books related to local history and I’m now interested in researching the history of my house, street and area! Xx

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      1. Thanks! I’m really interested in my house and who lived there before me and what life was like in the area when my house was built! I signed up for a library card yesterday!!! Can’t wait for it to come!!! Xxx

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  2. I just forwarded this to a dear college friend whose husband of 42 years was just killed in a biking accident. thanks for writing this,

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    1. Oh Christine, my heart goes out to your friend. She might not be ready yet for the book and it is a difficult road ahead of her but I send her thoughts of strength and hope she can take one day at a time like I did. A virtual hug to her from a stranger who has traveled a similar path.

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  3. So glad to know you’re getting back to your reading and that you live within walking distance of the library!

    Option B sounds like a very cool audio book. I know you will work out your Option B. Still praying.

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  4. Wow, I did not know that about Sheryl Sandberg. I did read Lean in. Being female out in the work force (before retirement) I can relate to the gender roles and dynamics.I am glad you gave her book a 2nd read and found it to be helpful, both going through the same grieving and experience of overwhelming loss. Hugs Kathy

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  5. It’s wonderful to be able to walk to a library!
    Thank you for sharing Sheryl Sandberg‘s quotes. They are really poignant to so many aspects of life. I’m happy the universe brought you her words. Your grief is shared and you are both strong women moving forward.

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  6. Tierney, so glad that you reached out and that you have found a book that you can now use as a tool to help you through this journey of life that has been dealt to you at such a young age!

    From 2014 to 2018 nothing went right for us. We lost Clay’s son to cancer (a 14 month journey) and then in 2017 my older son died unexpectedly at the age of 54. Death comes to all of us but no one wants to go and no one wants to lose loved ones. We have survived but still have the memories of both sons.

    Lean on friends and your Faith and that will see you through. Time heals most wounds, but the lost of a spouse and your best friend of 29 years is a difficult thing to overcome. Your creative skills will keep you afloat and remember God is always there to hold you and comfort you.

    Take care.

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    1. Thanks so much for your thoughtful comments and I am sorry for those losses in your life. I so appreciate your insights and sharing your personal experience! Virtual hugs to you for your encouraging comments 🙂

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  7. I LOVE that quote!! And I love libraries. I have quite a stash of books at home (mostly from the annual library book sale), but I’m always listening to audiobooks checked out from the library and I’ve currently got my own stack of sewing books from a recent spree. I am glad you’re finding your way through your loss. You are one strong cookie, even though I’m sure there’s times you don’t feel like you are!!

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  8. It’s nice to see your first Denver stack! Thank goodness for books. And I’m glad that you found, there, a book to inspire and encourage you in your process. You are so very resilient, Tierney. ❤️

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  9. “We all live some form of Option B.” This touches everyone, I think, but still it has to “click” for every person individually. Curious that you happened to start on that book back then and it just didn’t click. I love that you found your way back to this book now and that you’re getting good value from it. It’s all about context, isn’t it?

    And it’s also about resilience, and that’s a very personal trait. You’ve got plenty of that, and it seems you really found strength to make the best of Option B. That makes me smile!

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    1. Hello Torben! Thanks so much for your thoughtful comments! Apologies I’ve been behind on responding to comments and I look forward to regular blogging again the future.

      Yes I could not really connect with the book before I had experienced the loss of my spouse. Then the book was so meaningful as I could so relate to her experiences. Thanks so much for your positive comments, I am feeling pretty proud of myself with my resilience 🙂

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