The Stories That Walked Through the Door

 

There is something a little surreal about rolling a suitcase full of books into a bookstore when your name is on every cover.

You write them quietly. You edit them. You second-guess them. You work through covers, publishing, distribution and all the details no reader ever sees.

Then one day, you unpack those books onto a table in a beautiful independent bookstore and wait to see who walks through the door.

Saturday at Bookery Manchester, they walked through.

And what a gift they were.

A Perfect Day for a Bookstore

It was damp and gray outside, the kind of New Hampshire day that practically begs you to wander into a bookstore and stay awhile.

Inside, my table was filled with The Internal Fungus Among Us, Rooted & Renewed, and Watered & Whole, along with bookmarks, information about my wellness work, and a wellness giveaway basket filled with all three signed books, my Gut Health Grocery Guide, a journal, candle, eye mask and a few other little things meant to encourage rest and restoration.

I'd spent plenty of time preparing all of it.

But, as usual, the best parts of the day were the things I couldn't have planned.

They were the people.

The Stories That Walked Through the Door

People stopped to browse, ask questions and talk.

Some were curious about gut health and healing. Others were drawn to the faith and reflection behind the From Soil to Soul devotionals.

Like Mackenzie, who stopped by and chose Rooted & Renewed for her mom, who has been feeling a little "stuck" and could use some encouragement.

Or Jeff, a fellow kayaker from Manchester, who stopped to talk gut health and decided it might be time for a reset of his own.

These weren't just book conversations. They were life conversations.

And then some conversations went deeper.

One woman stopped at my table and began sharing her own health journey with me. She had been doing well, making progress and feeling stronger. Then things suddenly came crashing down again. Now she was finding her way back and rebuilding.

As we talked, she became emotional.

She had my book with her, and knowing that something I had written was becoming even a small part of her journey back touched me more than I can adequately put into words.

Because I know what rebuilding feels like.

We talked about healing journeys. Faith. Wellness. The unexpected things life hands us. What it means to begin again.

A couple of those conversations even turned into plans to sit down one-on-one and talk more about their own healing journeys.

That's when I was reminded that this work was never really about putting books on a table.

It's about what the books can open up between people.

Someone picks up a book.

A conversation begins.

And sometimes you realize there was a reason your paths crossed that day.

And Then There Were These Ladies...

One group in particular made my day.

A wonderful group of women came through in matching outfits and told me about an adventure they're taking together, traveling across all 50 states exploring bookstores and Irish music.

Bookstores.

Irish music.

Travel.

Friendship.

Seriously, ladies, where do I sign up?

I loved everything about it.

They reminded me that there are so many ways to build a beautiful life, and sometimes you meet people for only a few minutes who leave you thinking, I love the way they're doing this.

The Gift of Familiar Faces

Then there were the people I already knew.

Dear friends, trusted confidants and people who have walked beside me through very different seasons of my life came through the door.

That felt like a gift.

There is something incredibly meaningful about looking up from a table filled with your work and seeing someone who knows more than what's printed on those pages.

They know you.

They know some of the road that brought you to that table.

And they showed up.

Among those familiar faces were my friend Jackie, who leads our Bible study, her daughter Juliette, and our Bible study friend Johanna. Seeing the three of them walk through the door together meant so much to me. Jackie captured the photo of me standing behind the table that day, a moment that means even more because of the friends who were standing on the other side of the camera.

My hiking friend Martha came, too. And when the afternoon was over, she stayed.

The conversations ended. The bookstore began settling back into its normal rhythm. Suddenly all those books, signs, baskets and little pieces I'd carefully carried inside had to go back out to the car.

Martha helped me pack it all up.

Such a simple thing.

And such a beautiful act of friendship.

I've spent a lot of this summer on the road introducing my books to independent bookstores throughout New England. I've walked through unfamiliar doors, introduced myself, told my story and asked booksellers to take a chance on my work.

Bookery was different.

This time, I stayed in one place.

And people showed up for me.

Maybe That's What I'll Remember

Writing is often solitary.

There are countless hours behind a computer when no one is applauding. No one sees the sentence you've rewritten six times or the idea you're wondering whether anyone will understand.

Eventually, you send those words out into the world (after a very smart editor pass or two).

And every once in a while, the world answers back.

Saturday felt a little like that.

A reader opening a book.

A woman sharing her health journey and allowing me into a vulnerable moment.

A friend walking through the door.

A conversation about faith.

Someone asking for help with their own healing.

A group of women laughing about their adventures. And their husbands, happily in tow, close by playing cards.

A friend staying until the very end to help carry everything back to the car.

Maybe that's what this season continues to teach me:

We may tell our stories individually, but we never really know where those stories will create connection.

Thank you to Bookery Manchester for welcoming me and my books.

Thank you to everyone who stopped at my table, bought a book, entered the giveaway, shared a story, asked a question, gave me a hug, made me laugh or simply came by to say hello.

And especially, thank you to the people who showed up simply because they love me.

After more than a thousand miles of taking these books out into the world this summer, there was something especially beautiful about staying still for an afternoon...

and watching the stories walk through the door. ❤️


Love & Light,
jMf