Children

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The day was cool; a breeze came in through the screen door next to my parents' big, fluffy bed; It was mid-day and nap time for me. As a young child, I never resisted nap time because I knew that I got to listen to my mother read to me. My favorite book was from a set of books my parents bought when they started having children. This particular book was one of a set of red and cream hard-backed books that included encyclopedias and dictionaries. My two favorites were a book of childrens' poems and a book of fairy tales. Both had beautiful illustrations. As I snuggled next to my mother and snuggled under my blanket, I was able to let my mind go anywhere it wanted to go; from walking through the forest where Snow White lived, to a fairy glade where mystical things happened. That special time shared with my mother was where my love of books and my love of words, and and affinity to dream magnificent dreams, grew. Between the now worn out pages of those wonderful books that I loved so much, new worlds and possibilities were opened to me. I'm so glad my mother saw the importance of story time, as it gave to my life so much and, from what I know now that I have a little boy, I know that it was a special time for my mother as well...

Reading to my little boy is one of my favorite occupations. Although he's now long past taking naps, he and I both look forward to snuggling under the covers at night and opening the pages to new worlds and adventures. Yes, reading to a child builds the vocabulary and improves the speech, but it affords much more than that. It conveys to a child that you care...that you think them important enough to have that special time with them...It says "let me share with you" and they will never forget the sharing...

Most importantly, reading can awaken dreams for a child. Not wrought as they sleep, but dreams for their future. A book about trains could inspire an engineer. A book about nature could inspire an environmentalist....and reading, in and of itself, could inspire a writer or a journalist...

A child's mind is a broad and fertile vista. How many things we plant, for good or for ill into a young mind will determine its harvest, and the bonding of parent and child, or even of grandparent and grandchild through the reading of a book, are invaluable and of much, much importance. Then, yes, the child will perhaps dream bigger dreams, but through showing them we cared enough to take time for them, it could very possibly give them the self confidence to spread their wings and then the courage to fly.

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