ladle of love

i've always been a reader. as long as i can remember i've had a love affair with books. i remember books i read as a child so vividly . . . the pictures, even tiny details. i can even remember the first time i read a book. i was in the first grade, in front of my house with my mom, and it was a book about a bunny. i can see it in my head now the way the words looked as, for the first time, the letters became a story.

and then, a pivotal moment. i was in the sixth grade. mr. graham (my very intimidating teacher) was talking to my best friend valerie (a true genius, always the smartest one in her class), and giving her a "special" challenge because she was so gifted. everyone in the class had been assigned to read a certain amount of books during the school year, but he was challenging her to go above and beyond. to read x amount of books more than the average student in our class . . . me included.  

well, i'd overheard enough.  i would not be outdone.  so i set out to read as many or more books than valerie had been secretly prodded to do.  and i did it.  

some favorite books i remember reading when i was younger: the phantom tollbooth, hatchet, island of the blue dolphins, castle in the attic, redwall, the babysitter's club. . . and in high school, east of eden and the great gatsby were among my favorites.  i was always staying up late, reading by flashlight.  

my favorite college class was "children's literature".  i absolutely loved revisiting some of those classics i'd enjoyed so many years before and looked forward to every assignment. . . a rare occurrance indeed.

after i was married i rededicated myself to reading and took on classics.  i read, and loved: wuthering heights, pride and prejudice, jane eyre, a room with a view (one of my favorites), the age of innocence (another fave), house of mirth,  the custom of the country (i'm a fan of edith wharton) and grapes of wrath.  

today, one of my favorite things to do with my children is to read to them. i love children's books.  i love the scholastic book orders.  we go to the library every friday and bring home stacks of books.  i look forward to opening an unknown book and seeing what it has to offer.  

i'm always saying to parker and macy, "can i read you a book?". . . or, "how about if we sit down and read a book" . . . or, "you look bored, let's read!"  that'll get 'em. 

when i went to tuck parker into bed tonight, she was sitting up, leaning back on her pillow looking at a book.  it was a cute moment and my inner nerd rejoiced.  i hope my kids gain a love of reading from me.  i truly do. my desire is that i will have to tell them to turn off the light and go to bed.

and then see the glow of a flashlight from under the door . . .