This past weekend we had a Wisdom Club Gathering. We came together to discuss our latest read....”Traveling with Pomegranates” by Sue Monk Kidd and her daughter Ann Kidd Taylor. You can read in an earlier post of mine (This week I lost myself) what I thought of the book. For me it was another indulgence in Sue Monk Kidd’s writing and though it was not my favourite of her books, I enjoyed it all the same and took from it what I needed. In fact, after the gathering, I realized that I was quick to discard the things about the book that I did not connect with....but now I get a little ahead of myself.

Let me start by saying it was a great gathering. Almost all of us there. Only 2 missing. With a group of twelve and busy lives, we have found that there is usually one or two women absent each meeting.

Love was in the air, for each other and...baby love. Nicole had her baby some time back and this was Liam’s first visit with us outside the womb.

The evening was hosted by the lovely Claire who opened up a warm, inviting home for us to gather in for the evening. Since a large portion of the book took place in Greece and France Claire set the theme for the food to reflect those two countries. It ended up being an amazing Greek feast with everything from calamari, olives, humus, chicken souvlaki to two different kinds of greek salads.

The food was so good I forgot to take many pictures of it before it was devoured!

But baby love and good food and drink were not the highlight of the night....for tonight was a different gathering from any we had previous. Tonight there was a great divide in the opinion of this book. Some even felt it did not warrant being a book at all.  There was a feeling for some that the book was contrived; as it was the book that was to launch Sue’s daughter’s writing career. This was not even a thought that I had entertained while reading it myself. Though I did at times find Ann’s story weak and not really a place were I could connect I by passed those feeling and just indulged in the area of the book that was meant for me. Truth was I was a bit taken back by some of the other readers opinions.

There were those who enjoyed the book...though a very light read, they had enjoyed the lightness of it after some of the other books we had read. Some did not even complete it because they disliked it so much.

It was so interesting to me how this book was evoking different emotions in each of us. And being this our first time of a great divide it was a new place for us in The Wisdom Club and we were all taking this newness in.

For myself I was brought into a light that I had not considered as far as the quality of the book and the real purpose behind why it was written. Was it a contrived story to launch Ann’s writing career using her mothers name? Could very well be. Once that possibility presented itself, I could easily see why that would be the thoughts of some.

I am still glad to of read it...it had some of what I needed and it was a easy read.

Perspective...it is such an amazing thing. To be open to a perspective that is not our own can be hard...especially if we are passionate about something. In The Wisdom Club, I like to think that we are learning how to graciously respect each other for our difference of perspectives and not only respect, but learn from each others diversities. To come to that place where not everyone thinks the same, but where everyone stand united in their differences.

These are amazing women, I have said it before and I will say it again...I am blessed by their presence in my life.

“Why not let people differ about their answers to the great mysteries of the Universe? Let each seek one's own way to the highest, to one's own sense of supreme loyalty in life, one's ideal of life. Let each philosophy, each world-view bring forth its truth and beauty to a larger perspective, that people may grow in vision, stature and dedication.”

-Algernon Black