Reviewer Bani Sodermark. Bani has a Ph.D in mathematical physics and has been a teacher of physics and mathematics at the university level in both India and Sweden. For the last decade, her interests have been spirituality, healthy living and self-development. She has written a number of reviews on Amazon. Bani is a mother to two children.
Author: Heather Pardon
Publisher.Heather Pardon 2012
ISBN: 9781470034788
Author: Heather Pardon
Publisher.Heather Pardon 2012
ISBN: 9781470034788
Follow Your Heart Wherever It Takes You
Many of us go through life unconsciously, used as passive instruments by the workings of fate. Following Daisies by Heather Pardon documents how the author takes an active role in crafting the story of her own life, by following her heart, wherever it took her.
Following the call of her heart has always been a passion with Heather Pardon. So when she gets cues from the Universe as to follow her desire of moving from her hometown Ottawa to the West Coast of Canada, though she has never been there, and knows no one there, she begins to plan accordingly. Soon after, the house where she runs a bed and breakfast is sold and a RV prepared, so that she could live out the promptings of her heart.
The symbol of a daisy is significant. Some years ago, Heather had attended an event with some friends at a place called Daisy Creek. There she had been nicknamed “Daisy”. The symbol of a daisy became her leitmotif and is the “raison d’etre” behind the title of this book.
Heather calls her RV “Miss Daisy” and emblazons some daisies on it and a message, saying “Follow your heart wherever it takes you”. As she sets out on her trip, this sign attracts many people to her and as she travels across Canada, “following the daisies”, she attracts a lot of interest, inspires a number of people to follow their heart and has many pleasant and interesting experiences.
During this trip, Heather also practises a lot of “wiggling”, an impromptu dance form which is a byproduct of her ongoing program of “following the daisies”.
All was well until her money lasted. After that, the epithet that applies to her situation is “Apres moi le deluge”. She had to move her RV to a Walmart parking lot from the campsite where she had parked it earlier. She had no heating in the thick of winter, and no toilet as she was compelled to use the one for customers at Walmart. This part of the move to the West Coast is not glossed over. Heather describes this part of her journey, her doubts and her anxieties in candid, humorous detail, without either overemphasizing or belittling her mind crunching reality. She learns to appreciate small things on this part of her journey, like running hot water and electricity, things many of us take for granted.
Later she is also forced to give up her RV Miss Daisy, because she could not afford repair charges.
Heather.returns to her erstwhile hometown Ottawa and takes up a job as a bartender. She saves enough money to pay for her return to the West Coast. Back in the environment where she knew she belonged, she begins to write this book, in which she recounts the story of following her heart, no matter what.
The final message from Heather in this book is “I’d wanted to follow my heart, wherever it would take me and I’d certainly done that. Somewhere along the way, I’d discovered that following my heart IS the adventure. I don’t know what lies on the road ahead and that’s ok. I’m prepared for the unexpected.... I followed my heart and this is where it brought me.”
Each chapter of this book begins with the sketch of a daisy, It adds a lightness to the fabric of each chapter like crisp, flaky pastry, and the contents of each chapter more delectable and easier to assimilate. The material can draw forth tears at times, at the injustice of the trials that Heather has been forced to contend with, yet the total experience of reading this book is joy, light-headed, exuberant joy.
This book would have special significance today for those going through personal crises and tests for following their heart. She reminds us that it is possible and that one can survive on much less than we think. The fact that Heather succeeded will surely prompt others to do the same. This book has strong relevance for others as well, for, by following our heart, we forge our way to a world founded on heart based values instead of mind based. A world of peace and cooperation, where war is an idea that has served its’ time.
I recommend this book very strongly.
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