A few weeks ago, we had my mother-in-law stay with us for the week to help watch our son while I underwent minor outpatient surgery. Having her to help watch, play, feed, and cuddle with our son was, as one could guess it, incredibly helpful. When she wasn’t with my son, she flipped open a book and read through as many pages as she could. She is an avid reader and always thirsty for books. Whenever she visits, she makes sure that she has enough books with her. And, if she ever gets through a book, she’ll pick up more books at the store. She is so dedicated to reading and I can’t help but notice the love that she has for books.
One day while she was seated next to me on the couch, she was flipping through a book that she rented from the library and came across a unique, magnetic placeholder. After talking about how neat it was, she explained how hurtful it is to see people dog ear pages. That comment rang true with me as well.
To me, there’s nothing quite like a book. I’ve tried e-readers but I find myself putting down the e-reader to pick up a book and soak in all of the words and pages. I love the smell and the sense of accomplishment that a real book provides.
Years ago, before I was a work-at-home, stay-at-home mom, I was incredibly busy. Yes, everyone is always busy whether or not kids are involved. I had things to do, work to complete, friends to see, family to love, and places to be. But, I always found time to open a book. From squeezing in as many pages as I could while riding the Metro to work to falling asleep with a book in my hand, I made it a point to maintain my love of books. I would stop at the bookstore at least once a week and pick up new books that I would enjoy every moment that I had.
Now that I work a full-time job, write this blog on the side, watch my son full-time, take care of a house, and maintain a loving and supportive relationship with my husband, I often find myself almost crawling up the stairs at night to put myself to bed. I know that I would hardly make it through a paragraph at the end of the day before I woke up with a book on me or on the floor. But, do you see what’s missing there? I don’t see any “me time” in the mix. That needs to be fixed.
So, I need to challenge myself and I have my mother-in-law to thank. My parents love to read. My husband loves to read. My in-laws love to read. My son loves to read. I love to read. Don’t get me wrong, I read plenty of children’s books throughout the day. But, I need to focus on my personal reading time. I need to fall in love with books again.
What’s your favorite book?
Lead photo by Luis Llerena. Second photo by Anna Hamilton.
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