My mom has a room in her house that is full of books.
I’m not exaggerating when I say an entire wall in that room has shelves that are filled with novels, memoirs, and volumes and volumes of books.
She loves westerns. I swear there must be 80 Louis L’amour westerns on those shelves. I’m not sure if Louis wrote that many books, but I’d wager that she has most, if not all, his novels.
If books were edible, my mom’s house would be a great place to go to during the zombie apocalypse. If you’re like me, and might prefer books to food, her house might be a great place to go during a zombie apocalypse anyway.
Growing up, some of my earliest memories involve reading with my mom. Either she was reading to me, or she was actively taking part in my growing love of reading.
I loved to read, she recognized that, and she pushed me in that direction.
I read The Boxcar Children and The Hardy Boys books with her and, eventually, by myself. I remember getting a few dollars every year to buy some books from the “book fair” at my elementary school.
Without a doubt, one of the many things my mom passed along to me was her love of reading.
I can’t say we always have the same taste in books. I’m not a big fan of westerns, and the thought of my mother reading Infinite Jest makes my brain parts shut down.
I would guess we’ve all got that one person in our lives who showed us how to love reading. They did more than just teach us how to read. They planted some kind of undying literary seed that continues to grow as we get older.
Those people that hate reading…did they just not have a good reading role model in their life? Or is their some inherent qualities that make the anti-readers so anti-reading? What’s up with those people?
I love reading with my little boy, and I can’t wait to begin reading more in-depth stories with him soon, maybe Narnia. As you might know, the kid loves lions.
I think that’s the best way I could give thanks to my mother—by doing the same thing for my sons, her grandsons.
Who passed on their love of reading to you?
(Image: Brockton Post Schools)
