I saw this badge on Facebook earlier today and snagged it right away. It’s so me! I envy people who have the focus and discipline to read one book at a time. Right now I’m reading five.

This morning I dipped into The Road Less Traveled by Scott Peck and was reminded that love always involves work and/or courage and that there are no exceptions. The work requirement is the one that really stopped me in my tracks. I first read that phrase many years ago when The Road first came out, and its truth resounded with me once again this week.

Reading this section of the book took me down Memory Lane to an incident that occurred about 20 years ago. My sweet sis and our children had enjoyed an afternoon on the beach, and when we came home, the children took their showers first. One of my daughters left wet towels and her bathing suit on the bathroom floor, and when I told her to get them up, she said something like, “Okay, in a minute.” (Who hasn’t heard that from a child at some point?) It must have bothered my sister because she came out with the words that have almost reached legendary status in our family: “Talk is cheap.”

Although I wasn’t in the room for the scene itself, I can just imagine my fiery, feisty little teenager glaring at her aunt. Probably irritated and angered to the max, she knew not to disrespect her elders, especially when they were telling her the cold, hard truth.

Ann continued, “You say you love your mother, but if you did, you’d do what she asked you to do the first time. Talk is cheap.” Wowza.  Like I said, Carrie still remembers that afternoon and those three powerful words.

And aren’t those words true? If you love someone, you will extend yourself. You will work for them, perform acts of service for them, and do what they ask you to do (depending on the circumstances).  You will extend yourself for this person instead of saying,  ”I’m too busy” time and time again. Sometimes we are too busy, but then sometimes we need to stop and attend to the people and things we love.

Looks as though I’ve gotten carried away with Dr. Peck this morning and haven’t touched on the other books I’m currently reading. On that list are The Birth House, Seven Thousand Ways to Listen, The Book of Wisdom, and The Happiness Project. Lest that statement comes across as bragging, rest assured that it’s not meant that way. I can’t seem to stay focused on one book long enough to follow it through without taking a side trip.

I just ordered Elizabeth Berg’s We Are All Welcome Here for my iPad. It’s this month’s selection for my book club. I won’t finish it by tomorrow night, but at least I have it now. Doesn’t that count for something?

I know I’m not the only reader who has problems sticking to one book at the time. Confessions anyone?