It’s written by Kathleen Thackham, an extraordinary woman who I met only once and got to know more online. Kathleen is a cancer and trauma survivor with a gift for writing from the heart. She’s embarking on her own writing journey with her own blog recreatingme.com.
Lately, like so many people these days, Kathleen has been feeling heartbroken and like she doesn’t belong. She said my book helped heal her heart and bring her peace. She will never truly know how much her words meant to me and how she inspired me to keep doing what I’m doing. This is what she wrote:
So much more than a book on moving!
This book is called A Mindful Move, “Feel at home again.”
I know the author of this book. I don’t know her well, but after reading this book I feel like she knows me.
The facts are, this book is very well researched. Kiran did a fantastic job of interviewing people from all walks of life, making sure that her information and research was current, factual, and helpful.
It’s a short book that covers a lot of ground, in great detail, and could very easily be used as a blueprint for your next move.
But I got something out of this book I never expected. I have moved around a lot. If I had to count, I’d say we’ve lived in over 30 different places, all over America and in England. I worked for a relocation company and I planned every move as though it was a project.
But with this last move, I have been here almost 4 years and I’m not ashamed to say I feel lost. For some reason, I haven’t been able to fit in and it doesn’t yet feel like home to me.
I picked up Kiran’s book and started crying because she got me. Without giving too much away, because I want you to read this book for yourself.
I realized what a loss this last move has been for me. I haven’t emotionally let go of my last home, so I haven’t been able to fully move into my new one. I haven’t been able to become a part of my new community because I was holding on to my old one.
This book is more than about moving. It’s about finding yourself in the process.
Picking up and starting over can be such an emotional process for some people. For many of my other moves, I just got on with it. This time I am heartbroken.
Kiran breaks down the process of letting go. The disconnection phase, the honeymoon phase, the homesickness phase, the connection phase. It’s all right there!
We are not robots, we are not moving companies. We are families, we are moms, we are wives, we have feelings, and moving isn’t just a strategic project to go from one end to another.
I love how she breaks down the emotional aspect and allows you to find comfort by adding in comforting quotes that speak to your heart.
Some, would not think that chapters on self-esteem would be of value in a book like this. However, leaving our homes, our friends, everything that we know, and starting over again in new communities with total strangers, can have shocking ramifications.
If this book was merely a blueprint on how to move, it would leave you emotionally bankrupt because moving is an emotional process and there is so much more than just packing and unpacking.
Could some of this be common sense? Well, anyone who’s ever hired a moving truck, or packed a box could find pieces in this book that are familiar to them. But the fact that she incorporates loss and self-esteem, and even a section on spirituality, mindfulness, and peace, shows that she has a deep understanding of this process and is passionate to share it with us.
Right at the end, you get sections on “Needing to fulfill our purpose in life,” and “Personal transformation.”
This author cares about her readers. She didn’t write this book because she wanted any book published, she wanted this book published!
She shares personal stories of her family’s experiences, she bears her soul, and you can tell she wants nothing more than for you to experience the peace that she has finally found.
The British have a term when something is good and they want more they call it “Moorish.”To me, this book was Moorish. I couldn’t put it down. It made me feel good. I felt like I wasn’t alone in a strange city anymore. I felt like she understood my pain, and I wanted to keep reading because I wanted to know what else she had up her sleeve.
I work from home, I’m always in my house and that can leave you feeling very much like a hermit. Today I got out and explored my surroundings. But most importantly I resolved to let go of the past, cherish the memories, and finally settle into my new home.
So grab a cup of tea, I’m certain Kiran had the kettle on when she was writing this book, and take some time getting to know her. It really is like sitting with a new friend. I am honored to have been given the opportunity to review this book. It changed me, it brought me peace.
Kiran Prasad author of A Mindful Move: Feel at home again. Kiran has relocated 30 times.