Dina Dove | Columbus, KS
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Peak Into a Baglady's World
I found myself unable to put it down. It spoke to my soul. Brenda Ellis, Office coordinator
The Baglady’s Guide to Elegant Living is a modern day parable and Rose is no ordinary baglady. She is a cross between your guardian angel and a modern day Mary Poppins. On the outside, she is a wisp of a woman. Prim and proper in dress yet vulnerable in overall appearance. Why a baglady? Her one constant accoutrement is a huge shopping bag from which she pulls the wisdom of the ages and anything else needed at the moment.
I loved Rose. I grew very attached to her. Every chapter I worried that she wouldn’t be sitting on the bench.
Denise Esser, Elementary teacher
Early on, the Baglady opens the reader’s mind just enough to consider the possibility that the world might operate differently than she thinks, thus allowing for new and more empowering possibilities within the context of previously held beliefs. It’s hard to break out of restrictive teachings and release God from the box we’ve built for Him, yet the Baglady helps the reader do just that. While not asking anyone to abandon the beliefs they hold so dear, she does open their eyes to a personal meaning that will bring a deeper spirituality into their current religious practice.
It made me want to go get a notebook and do the things with her (Angela). It was like the Baglady was talking to me!
Rhonda Rhoades, Worship coordinator
Angela is every man (actually, every woman) who sometime in her life, after all the struggles to make it somehow work, finds her existence less than completely satisfying. Her career and marriage have ended and she is in financial ruin. We can all identify on some level with the skepticism and the “poor me” syndrome she exhibits in her early encounters with the Baglady. Angela’s survival and return to balance requires her to take a good look inside herself. In order to find inner peace and contentment, she must recognize the need to see a life of deeper meaning first. Then, from knowing herself, she can proceed to fulfill her true purpose.
The Baglady's approach is one of lightheartedness, humor and unconditional love for the suffering Angela. Initially, Rose uses the language of stories and Biblical references in an attempt to reach the younger woman. As the book progresses she takes Angela through a series of exercises and assignments geared to facilitating self-discovery. This leads both Angela and the reader to leave behind their past woes and move forward into the future, realizing that their thoughts, feelings and emotions have been controlling their lives all along.
The book actually makes you think about your own life.
Tina Adrian, Real estate agent