16. Waiting for Paint to Dry by Lia Mack
For the past decade, Matty Bell has lived safe in a self-made monochromatic life of work-eat-sleep-survive. Living vicariously through her best friend Claire's perfect life wasn't the plan. However, Matty learned long ago it's easier to run and hide from life than to deal with the PTSD she’s suffered from since being raped at sixteen. Yet on the night of her thirtieth birthday, a freak accident shows Matty a truth: run from something long enough and it will consume you. She must find a way back to her life, a life full of passion in which she can follow her dreams and is not afraid to love. When Claire announces her family is moving, she asks Matty to come too. Having grown up Navy, Matty’s no stranger to picking up and starting over. However, moving half-way around the world to play nanny to Claire’s children doesn't sound like the new beginning Matty yearns for. Nor does she want to leave without first confronting her fears and coming full-healing-circle. She can’t let another decade slip by before she’s able to trust again.
My Review:
This is a story about Matty's journey and acceptance through something tragic. As a teenager, Matty was raped and like most rape victims, she kept quiet and tried to forget all about that night. At 30, Matty's life is still affected by it, especially when it comes to relationships and other aspects of her life. When Matty's friend invites her to move to Germany with her family, it causes Matty to examine her life. She decides to give therapy a try and with the help of the therapist, she comes full frontal with what happened that fateful night and how it has affected her life. It's through this that Matty gets the courage to reconnect with her family, who she distanced herself from because they didn't understand what she was had been through. Along the way, Matty ends up in a relationship and is forced to go places she never thought she could go again. It takes some time and patience, but it ends up being okay.
What I liked was the transformation that Matty had after suffering from years of post traumatic stress disorder. We don't always realize how much our life can be affected by traumatic or rough times from our past. The struggle is real. No matter what we may have gone through, it seems that we eventually reach a breaking point. A time when we have had enough of living in the past and attempt to move forward in any way possible. During Matty's journey, she rediscovers her passion of painting.
Question and Answer:
Have you ever gone through a transformation in your life? Did you discover or rediscover a passion?
On this blog, I have been pretty open about my heart condition. After I was diagnosed, I did let it control me for several years and I had panic/anxiety attacks. I played the what if game too much and let the thought of having another event take over my life. I did end up reaching my breaking point and decided that I wasn't going to let it control me any more. Does it still bother me or get to me at times? Absolutely, but I don't let it become me. I decided to do the one thing that scared me: performing in front of people. I tried out for the local theatre company's musical and it turned out to be the best thing for me. Nothing can conquer anxiety more than performing in public, at least in my case. I ended up crying tears of joy and accomplishment during curtain call on opening night.it was the best feeling.
Happy Reading and Keep on Writing!
♥Meg♥
