Book of the month: The Wild Silence by Raynor Winn
The last few weeks have suddenly taken the UK from a pleasant summer and autumn into quite a brutal, wet and raw semi winter. It's been the perfect type of weather to curl up in the warm with a hot cup of tea and a good book.
We have totally loved reading 'The Wild Silence' by Raynor Winn which is a sequel to her first ever book 'The Salt Path' that came out a few years ago. It tells the true story of Raynor Winn's recent life and the unfortunate diagnosis of her husband Moss, with terminal Corticobasal Degeneration. Both of her books are heartbreaking but inspiring with extreme lows but also extreme highs. They will totally transform the way that you will view your life, your actions and your future- to not live a single day to the fullest is, not a day wasted, but definitely a day that should be thought about and considered.
Raynor's writing is heart felt and true, it allows you to feel a small part of the pain and anguish that she must be going through in her daily life. Somehow she carries on and remains seemingly calm enough to organise her life. It feels like that but under the surface it must also feel so lonely and in a constantly shifting but always sizeable hole of despair. The love that she has had for her husband Moth all of the time they have known each other is so evident and effects readers to their cores.
Whilst reading it we were sipping our Raspberry Leaf Digestions Tea, staring out into the wild wind battered and rain soaked garden and felt such a strong connection to Raynor and her predicament. At the same time, and almost perversely, her story and life is inspiring- immediately we started googling walking routes local to us and what kit to buy, borrow or bring.
To follow in the steps of Raynor, although terrifying in terms of the illness that her partner is living with in his life, is to be released from the shackles of daily modern life and be truly fulfilled. No emails and no social media, no worrying about things that don't really matter.
Her story reminds us all of a life without those things and with only things that do matter and an acceptance that life may not be perfect or always happy. It is hard and you have to be tough but by living a life that is fulfilled and real is to live life properly and only then can you find true happiness.