I really don’t know how I became such an avid reader. I don’t remember my parents reading much when I was a kid, but we always had bookcases and shelves full of books.
I remember sitting for hours looking through all the books my parents had. Something caused me to gravitate toward them. I remember a book by Art Linkletter, an entire series about the Civil War, even some written in German.
A Reading Legacy
It really wasn’t until I was an adult that I saw my parents read. My dad and I would read the same books at the same time and then talk about them when we were done. He loved Louis L’Amour westerns. Truth be told, so did I.
I didn’t realize how much that connection meant to me until after Jan. 24, 2004, the day Dad died. I’d start to read and then wonder who I would discuss it with when I was done. Answer? No one. He and I shared a bond that we hadn’t had when I was a child. I still miss that connection.
Then, when my mom moved from the house we grew up in to a smaller place, I remember carrying boxes of books. Heavy boxes of books. I think that was when I finally figured out that books should be packed in smaller boxes, otherwise, no one would be able to move them once they arrived at their destination.
After Mom moved in with me and my family, I found out just how much she read. She would go online to the local public library, reserve ten or so books, and when they were ready to pick up, I’d take her current stack back and pick up the new ones.
After she died, I found her binder with lists of authors and their books, complete with check marks beside the ones she read and more lists of which books she wanted to read next. I had to shake my head, because I have a very similar three-ring binder.
What's My Favorite?
Someone once asked me what my favorite genre of books was, and I guess, I don’t really have one. I’ll read almost anything – as long as it’s a good story.
Fiction was my jam – cozy mysteries, thrillers, whodunits, romance, satire, young adult, middle grade, fantasy, science fiction – and, yes, westerns.
It shocks me when I realize I haven’t read fiction for the past couple of years. I’ve turned to memoir, biography, personal development, business, spirituality and writing how-tos.
Reading Creates Connections
I’ve done a lot of work on myself these past couple of years. And I’ve come to realize something that amazes me. Reading is something that crosses cultures, nations, genders, religions, and even time. I believe reading can connect us to the past and the future.
Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the second woman to be appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court who died in September 2020, was an avid reader, too. She once said, “Reading is the key that opens doors to many good things in life. Reading shaped my dreams, and more reading helped me make my dreams come true.”
I’ve read books written by Africans, Mexicans, Germans, Chinese, Canadians, Americans and I’ve learned that I don’t know much about anything. But every time I read another book, I open “doors to many good things in life.”
I learn about the authors’ cultures, families, histories. Things I would have no other way of learning if it weren’t for books.
Libraries Feel Like Home
I’ve realized, too, that I don’t HAVE to buy the books I want to read. There’s this place where you can borrow the books for free as long as you return them in good condition. It’s called the library. My husband points this out to me often as he sees the amount of money I spend every month on another book that I just have to read.
Since the start of the pandemic, the public library I frequent has been closed to visitors. You could still reserve books and then make arrangements for contact-less pick-up. I got an email last week that the library is finally opening up to browsers. I can’t wait to walk between the stacks of books. It feels like – home.
Reading Opens Our Minds
I also can’t help but believe that our society would benefit from more time reading. We all could learn why some people follow a religion different from our own. Or why they belong to a different political party. Or how they feel when treated unjustly. Even how people make it through life-altering events – like cancer, natural disaster and war.
Other than actually talking with everyone in the world, I can’t think of a better way to learn about people than by reading their books.
How about you? What books have changed your life, your beliefs, your awareness? I’d love to hear from you and I always appreciate new book recommendations. Post in the Comments Section below or email me at susie@stix-n-stonez.com
Happy reading!
Until next week,
Susie from Stix-N-Stonez
4 thoughts on “How My Parents Created A Reading Legacy”
We went to the library a lot when I was little and it didn’t take long for me to start recommending books to other people. I like to read to find out how other people think.
One of my favorite questions is always, “What is your first reading experience?” It is either very negative or extremely positive. Two sides of a coin for sure!
Books are my comfort and is something I always buy since I have my own money.
Thanks, Tammy. My sister just reminded me of how libraries smell and how people sound so reverent while they are in them — almost like church.
I so appreciate you and am thankful for your wisdom and support. May the universe bless you!
I loved to read even as a child. When I think of the library in my hometown (a beautiful old Carnegie building that, sadly, has been taken over by city offices and renovated to the point of annihilation of everything wonderful), I can actually SMELL it. The anticipation as I walked down the marble staircase to the children’s section…there was nothing like it. I’d get the maximum number of books one could check out (I believe it was 10) and couldn’t wait to get home to read them. Every summer as a kid I participated in the reading challenge and every year I was dismayed to learn that I didn’t win. But I still remember the bulletin board where they tracked progress and not winning didn’t dampen my enthusiasm for reading.
As for recommendations: I am just about finished with a novel that is beautifully written: Idaho by Emily Ruskovich.
What awesome memories! Thanks for sharing, Pat. And I’ll certainly add Idaho to my list of “should reads.”
Susie
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