I am a big reader, as I am sure you can tell from the vast amount of book reviews that I have done. I am also really into reading self help, and self empowerment books. This book, The Giant & The Dwarf, by Dov Yanai, is one such book. This book is a self empowerment book, meant to help adults face their own strengths and weaknesses (Their Giants and Dwarfs)...but that is not all I took away from this book.
#TheGiantandTheDwarf
This book starts out by introducing us to a Giant and a Dwarf...a brother (Giant) and his sister (Dwarf). We follow along as we learn that the sister is a misshapen dwarf with a big head, that is constantly stared at. She is hurt and uncomfortable, facing the stares of people that are caught off guard by her differences.
Her brother is the Giant in her life, acting big and tough, and as a savior of sorts, for his sister. Lifting her high on his shoulders, carrying her everywhere, and being stronger for doing it.
But he reaches a point in which he tries to remove his sister from his shoulders, and finds that it is impossible. His sister has become a part of him. So he goes on a journey to find a way to remove her from his shoulders. He finally finds a wise man that tells him how to rid himself of his sisters weight. He must learn to face his emotions, and only then, can he be a giant without a dwarf.
In one way, I took this book to mean that I can be strong WITHOUT my weaknesses...I do not need to carry my weaknesses with me, to prove my strength. The thing with weaknesses is, they can weigh you down, and make things harder.
Anyone that knows me, knows that my life has been far from easy...for a VERY long time, I held onto the pain of the things I have gone through. Using them to hold myself above others, too proud to face the pain, which meant that I couldn't let it go. I have since been able to do that, and it has made a huge difference.
The other thing that came to mind when I read this book, was my children. As many of you know, I have a son with Autism, and as such I have an extra worry. Will his sisters grow to resent him or me, because he requires so much extra time? Will they feel as if they were pushed aside? Will my son grow to be angry with everyone around him, because things are harder for him?
In this book, the brother has to face his sisters feelings, as well as his own, in order to get her off of his shoulders. The thought of my children feeling the way the brother and sister in this story do, scares me and breaks my heart. I can only hope, that I am able to ease the burden on all of my children, should we cross that bridge...perhaps this book will come in handy at that time.
Until then, I will continue to face my own demons, as well as help my children face theirs, in an attempt to focus on our strengths. I suggest reading this book, if you are in need of a little self empowerment. You can get THE GIANT and THE DWARF on Amazon for .99 (Kindle).
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