There are no empty spaces on my bookshelves. My bookcases are not the neat ones you see in furniture showrooms – a perfectly coordinated blend of designer sculpture pieces, flowers in vases, photo frames and just a few books precisely placed and coordinated with empty space to show off each individual component of the picture. Piled, stacked, bunched, overloaded and topsy-turvy would more likely describe the design theme for my bookshelves and the overflowing stacks of books on the floor below. No tolerance for empty space here!
A professional organizer would most likely call it clutter. A psychologist might call it an addiction. I call it “love.” Love for books. Oh, ok, so I have an addiction. But, this is one addiction I’m not going to seek a cure for! Why should I? Books are friends, teachers, motivators, inspirers, dream makers, entertainers… and, best of all, memory makers — which brings me to the reason for writing this blurb.
I’ve been surrounded by books all of my life as I think my parents read to me from the day I came out of the womb. Among my fondest childhood memories are the still vivid pictures of favorite books that I read over and over and over again. Books were special in our house and I was taught to treasure them, with favorite ones kept to be handed down for posterity. You could find me curled up just about anywhere with my nose and 100% of my attention buried in a book. Books taught me the fine art of writing; stimulated my imagination; educated me on more subjects than I can remember; transported me to other worlds, cultures and times; enhanced my communications skills and built friendships through sharing of favorite tomes.
I’ve been surrounded by books all of my life as I think my parents read to me from the day I came out of the womb. Among my fondest childhood memories are the still vivid pictures of favorite books that I read over and over and over again. Books were special in our house and I was taught to treasure them, with favorite ones kept to be handed down for posterity. You could find me curled up just about anywhere with my nose and 100% of my attention buried in a book. Books taught me the fine art of writing; stimulated my imagination; educated me on more subjects than I can remember; transported me to other worlds, cultures and times; enhanced my communications skills and built friendships through sharing of favorite tomes.
But, THE most important legacy of those books is the legacy of memories created by family story times. Pre-bedtime ritual included reading even before I could speak. Bless my parents with hoarse voices accommodating my seemingly never ending requests to “Read it again.” The gift of speech enabled me to chime in, interject my own interpretation of the tale or ask a gazillion questions about the characters, etc. The gift of reading enabled me to take my turn reading to them. With my parents’ encouragement and attentiveness, books inspired me to turn on my creative juices and make up new stories or formulate new dreams.
Yes, all of this is good – developing literacy, communication skills, imagination, creativity, dreams and goals. But, the special family bonding time – the feeling of safety and contentment curled up in the lap of a parent with a book and your favorite stuffed animal – listening to the comfortable and reassuring ebb and flow of a parent’s voice – creates a picture in the mind that lasts a lifetime.
Are you creating that kind of memory legacy for your children? In this hectic, over-scheduled, everything has to be done NOW world, it is even more important to take the time to connect, utilizing “family only” times. It doesn’t have to be done with books and family story times, but it’s not a bad way to start. If, at the age of 60, your “child” still vividly recalls and treasures those memories, waxes nostalgic and even writes about them, then you have surely done your job as a parent.
Peace,
Kathy Marie
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