A Lifelong Love....... Reading!

Saturday our local library reopened after having been torn down and rebuilt over 2 years ago. Yesterday I took my kids to get a few books and replace their very old, unreadable library cards. Katie was so thrilled with the idea of going to a library and getting her own library card.

Our new library is a simple, utilitarian structure with high ceilings and lots of light. All the books are brand new. I've always loved the library, loved checking out book after book. I grew up in close proximity to a library and would spend many hours there after school, choosing books about nature, biographies, and fiction, even very old fiction. I loved mysteries and biographies but I'd read all books. I loved science and art. Does anyone else remember Ed Emberley's thumbprint drawing book? I'd spend hours perusing his books. I was never a good artist but did enjoy the creativity.

The library, for me, was a sense of freedom and joy. I could easily lose myself for hours there. It was a safe haven for me. Books have always been something that I loved; I could learn so much, be inspired, see beauty, and be entertained for hours. The library was exciting; reading was exciting.

So you can imagine the thrill of breathing in the aroma of a brand new library filled with thousands of brand new books! And as wonderful as that was, it was nothing in comparison to the joy and excitement I felt re-introducing my kids to the library. I've often wondered how I'd feel if my kids did not LOVE reading the way I did; I hold reading in utmost esteem. What if my kids disliked it? I am so very passionate about learning and reading, and I love to share and impart this passion to my kids. It's a lifelong love that is invaluable in my opinion.

I need not worry; my kids LOVE books and love to read. It's a ritual that can't be missed in our home: Bedtime stories. (usually read by David) The plea of "just one more."..... Catching the oldest in his top bunk reading by flashlight until the wee hours of the night. How can one dissuade reading? I once did the exact same thing. It's so hard to put a good book down!

We went to the library yesterday. My kids are already clamoring to go again today.

I don't think I have to worry about them having a passion for reading!