Illusions

“A cloud does not know why it moves in just such a direction and at such a speed, it feels an impulsion . . . this is the place to go now. But the sky knows the reasons and the patterns behind all clouds, and you will know, too, when you lift yourself high enough to see, beyond horizons.”

~ Richard Bach, Illusions

I don’t usually pick favorites, but Illusions may be my favorite book of all time. I love it for its deep spiritual messages and simple style, and because we have a history together . . .

Illusions was on my mom’s bedside table when she died 31 years ago. I found it there, flipped through it, and put it right back where she had left it. The blue feather on the cover kept floating around in my mind though, so when we cleaned out the house a couple of years later, I took the book with me. I put it on my bookshelf, and that’s where it stayed. 

I didn’t read it, but I always knew it was there. 

Fast-forward to 12 years later: a therapist mentioned Illusions to me, and I immediately pulled it off my shelf and started reading. It was interesting; thought provoking — I read another of Richard Bach’s books, One — and I put Illusions back on my shelf. 

Thirteen years after that, I felt the pull to read it again — and I couldn’t put it down. I read it over and over again, because it finally made sense. It’s as though it had been speaking to me from my bookshelf all those years, and then one day, it had finished its work. That’s the way it seemed, at least. 

It’s still on my bookshelf, so it may have more to say. Life is mysterious that way.

Richard Bach’s Illusions is the fictional story of a spiritual messiah from Indiana who flies a plane and knows how to walk on water. He has recently given up “messiahing,” because he wants to save everyone, but no one will listen to him. Richard does listen though, so the messiah leads him through a series of teaching lessons that completely change the way he looks at life.  

And they might do the same for you. I highly recommend the book if you’re in need of spiritual reading. It’s a classic, and it’s short.

Hope you enjoy it.