The Summer of Swans

Book seven, of the Book-A-Day Challenge, is one that was recommended to me by a fifth grade student.  The Summer of the Swans by Betsy Byars is about a fourteen year old girl, Sara, that is going through emotional ups and downs, during what seems to be a typical summer.  Everyone around her is making her upset, including her ten year old, mentally handicapped brother, Charlie.   One day Charlie disappears and Sara realizes what is really important in her life.

Even as an adult, I have those moments of ups and downs, like Sara experienced.  I stress about money, work, husband, children, cleaning and the list goes on.  Sometimes it takes an eye opening experience to snap me out of my "funk", as in the case with Sara when Charlie disappeared. It seems as those eye opening experiences tend to be tragic. Therefore, I try to focus on the positive and not let those "downs" affect my relationships with those around me, because a lot of times the downs aren't what they always seem to be.