Comfort and Joy: Simple Ways to Care for Ourselves and Others [Paperback]

Colette Lafia (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 2008

Comfort and Joy is a small book that can engender big and welcomed changes in our lives and our attitude. It's a book to keep handy, to turn to again and again. Lafia offers forty-five vignettes-small stories, pictures of comfort as simple and grand as a plush pillow, a warm cup of tea. Simply reading them is comforting and more than likely to inspire the reader to follow the suggestions in "Cultivating Comfort," which follows each passage. And because she knows that comfort taken and comfort shared make the world a very much better place, in a section called "Applied Comfort," Lafia gives us inspiring ways to take comfort and pass it on. A simple and beautiful book with a profound message - learning to comfort ourselves is not a narcissistic pursuit - it's absolutely essential if we want to make any kind of real difference in the world.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Colette Lafia is a San Francisco-based writer, spiritual director, and educator. She is a graduate of the Spiritual Directors' Institute, from Mercy Center, in Northern California. Colette has a passion for renewal and contemplative living, and served as the director of the C.A.R.E. (Center for Advancement and Renewal of Educators) program for San Francisco educators. She has an active spiritual direction practice in San Francisco, and regularly holds workshops and comfort circles on self care, deep listening and integrated living. To contact Colette and find out more about her work.

Product Details

• Paperback: 136 pages
• Publisher: Conari Press (May 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1573243515
• ISBN-13: 978-1573243513
• Product Dimensions: 6.3 x 5.9 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,584,210 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A profound and touching message, May 5, 2008

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Comfort and Joy: Simple Ways to Care for Ourselves and Others (Paperback)

No matter how hardened one claims to be, no matter how tough a front one puts up, everyone needs some comfort and joy from time to time. "Comfort and Joy: Simple Ways to Care for Ourselves and Others" is a deftly written encouragement for everyone to do a little extra to make the world a better place. A profound and touching message, little things like a plush pillow, warm milk, the shoulder of a friend - all can make your loved ones feel better- and in the process, make yourself feel better as well. "Comfort and Joy: Simple Ways to Care for Ourselves and Others" is highly recommended to community library self-help collections - and anyone who wants to improve their own quality of life by improving others.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Enjoying Everyday Comforts, April 29, 2008

By 

Janet Boyer "Author, Blogger, Radio Host" (Pennsylvania) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Comfort and Joy: Simple Ways to Care for Ourselves and Others (Paperback)

"For me, it was not about constantly seeking new experiences for comfort, but in allowing the ordinary things in my daily life to fully resonate with the depth of comfort they had to offer. I have come to recognize that these daily experiences deepen over time, offering me the gift of comfort again and again." - From the book

Insomnia, death of her sister to breast cancer, infertility--spiritual director and author Colette Lafia weathered life's storms through the warmth of everyday comforts.

In her book Comfort and Joy, Lafia's warm prose knits a cozy tapestry of vignettes, observations, affirmations and gentle questions covering the simple ways we can care for others and ourselves.

I spent this past leisurely spring Sunday with Comfort and Joy while sitting in a lounge chair in my back yard. (In fact, at the author's suggestion to take comfort in a nap, I decided that was a glorious idea--and fell asleep!) I felt a sense of camaraderie as Lafia shared some simple comforts that I, too, enjoy--namely, my pillow, circles, warm baths and comfy clothes.

From empty bowls to laughter, buttery toast to worn shoes, the author tenderly takes readers by the hand, pointing out the beautiful sights, sounds and feelings that are hiding in plain sight amidst even the roughest terrain. Lafia is one of those rare authors who feel like a friend--someone you'd love to meet for lunch or swing in the backyard with while talking about everything and nothing.

Here are some soothing passages from this 131-page softcover book:

On Walking:

"It is comforting to return to this trail again and again, to step on a soil that holds many moments of my life. Landscape is as interior as it is exterior, and in that dual relationship there is a deep, primal comfort."

On Napping:

"I find comfort in listening to my body and not pushing myself all the time. When I nap, I always remove my shoes and my watch. Even if I don't fall asleep, as soon as I shut my eyes, there is an instant relief in letting go and feeling my body stop in repose."

On Creating:

"The morning light begins to appear, gracefully and deliberately like a dancer. And in that mood of awakening, I am drawing without hesitation. Pure instinct. Trusting every mark--a smudge, a smear, thick dark lines, thin gray lines. The drawing is already in me as I open my hands to receive it."

On Applying Comfort in Your Daily Life:

"Receiving the presences of another person's tears is a great gift of comfort to give someone. Allow the person to cry, without judgment or interruptions. Let the tears become part of nature. Sometimes there's nothing to figure out, it just needs to rain tears."

Comfort and Joy would make a delightful gift for Mother's Day (or any holiday!), especially since this book encourages us to seek out the simple comforts of life to ease stress and replenish our spirits, as well as enter a space to receive the comforts others offer. Highly recommended!

Janet Boyer, author of The Back in Time Tarot Book: Picture the Past, Experience the Cards, Understand the Present (coming Fall 2008 from Hampton Roads Publishing)

5.0 out of 5 stars great little gem!, June 14, 2008

By 

rebel "book lover" (San Jose, Calif) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Comfort and Joy: Simple Ways to Care for Ourselves and Others (Paperback)

Just LOVE this littel book! gave several away to friends. each 'chapter' is a surprise in how Colette informs the many ways to pay attention and soak up comfort and joy in our daily lives. nothing fancy, but everything wonderful.