BIBLIOTHERAPY

msgloriayang
Sep 18, 2018
2 min read

Updated: Oct 4, 2018

Time is passing by too quickly for me.

I could have sworn that it was yesterday summer just began and now it's already near the end of September. Where did August even go? I can't complain though because the weather has been beautiful. This gives me more time to enjoy my summer wardrobe that will soon be put away for who knows how long.

Today's outfit consists of a simple, black dress layered over a white crop top and paired with Nike Air Force 1's. This casual and sporty look was inspired by three things: 1) I cut off 4-5 inches of my hair and was feeling extra youthful, 2) the "Back to School" season is here, and, lastly, 3) this look reminds me very much of when I went through my "Emo" phase in middle school. The term "Emo" back then stood for a music genre and a fashion style sense.

This look brings all sorts of reminiscences of when I was a preteen. Majority of my time off school was spent at the Maplewood Library, where these pictures were taken. I've always loved to read since I was a little girl and my mom took great pride in this. She saw my impressive reading scores and the journals I had that documented every book I read in school. She then made it a priority to take me to the library every weekend. Going there shined a light and brought great excitement to my life especially at 13 years old. During that time, I was beginning to find myself feeling lonely and frustrated due to my inability to fit in or understand my depression. However, it all went away as soon as I found my way to the book shelves. Reading led me to places that I never knew existed and suddenly my life wasn't so confusing or noisy anymore. It brought me existence and wisdom. Evidently, it became my escape.

Looking back at this makes me realize that I don't even pick up a book anymore because of how devoted my time is on working, traveling, or networking at events. As adults, we are so busy making a living that we forget to slow down.

You might lose yourself from time to time if you have a chaotic life like mine, but it's during those times where setting boundaries, indulging in therapy, and taking time to relax is essential. I can’t stress enough how important it is to remind yourself about the little things such as taking care of yourself, because one day you're going to look back and realize the little things were actually the big things. Take a minute to enjoy your favorite book, watch an episode of your favorite tv show, drink your favorite tea, or even go for a walk. Whatever you do, rest but don‘t quit.