Arms Wide Open

I had some time on Friday, so on my way home from work I popped into the Riccarton Library. I had spent the day at a course on early intervention for maths, which was fairly long winded and by the end of the day my brain was knackered. So...I thought I would pop into the library to get some books, and also treat myself to a coffee and chocolate snack whilst reading one of the mags from the magazine shelves. Well...!

I ordered my coffee...and alas there were no chocolate snacks to be seen...so I ordered a tan square instead. While that was being made and prepared I browsed the magazine shelves...do you think I could find anything decent? No! The latest magazine on offer was something from 2009...how utterly disappointing. So I settled for a parenting magazine...and I don't even have any kids!

Anyhow, after my coffee and tan square (made out of concrete) I browsed the library for some reading material. I found another book by Deborah Challinor, Fire, and two biographies. One biography is called Arms Wide Open by Judi Davidson, and the other is called The Day the Music Died by Larry Lehmer.

I have finished the first biography today, Arms Wide Open. This is about a NZ mother born in the 50's, who was abused as a child, pregnant at 18 and forced to give up her baby for adoption. If that was not enough tragedy to cope with...Judi then finds herself in her mid-thirties raising 5 children alone. Two of her children have congenital spinal muscular atrophy and are confined to wheel-chairs. Judi Davidson describes in detail her abuse, her marriage break-downs, and most of all her determined fight to give her children the best of life. She is one determined woman!

I found this book a fascinating read. I experienced many emotions: admiration for this determined woman, anger at the men who abused her, bewildered at how thoughtless people can be with their comments (even doctors!!!), and sadness that there are people out there who suffer abuse STILL!