Books, Reading, Writing, Appreciation

Thursday Thankyou Day Returns.

Have I mentioned that it is book week? 

It was not until I started working at my current school that I realised how lucky I am to be literate.  I had always taken this skill for granted.  I have mentioned this week that learning to read was something that I don't remember doing.  I only remember knowing how to read.  Learning to reading may have been so traumatic that I wiped it from my memory. LOL. It is far more likely, that learning to read was a gradual and enjoyable process for me.  Books were always a part of my life.  I grew up surrounded by them.  I had difficulty making friends as a child (I still do) and I quickly learned that books were the kind of friends that didn't reject me or judge me, but welcomed me with open pages.  I loved to escape into my imagination and into the worlds of the books that I read.  

I always loved picture books.  I liked how easy it was to engage with them.  I liked how the pictures sometimes told a story all of their own.  The pictures brought out the hidden meaning behind the words.  I was intrigued by their magic.  I loved novels and biographies too.  I liked to read.  No, I loved to read.  

I still love to read.  

Today, I want to remind you, dear reader, that this skill we have is really a gift.  We are privileged.  We are special, we have the opportunity to share in a world of words and wisdom so vast we will never explore all of it.  It is also a privilege we must share.  We must help the young people in our lives to see the joy of reading and want it for themselves.  

I am thankful that my parents and grandparents (probably without even thinking) surrounded me with books and instilled in me the importance of learning to read.  I am thankful that I went to school and was encouraged to do my best when I was there  I am thankful that I have the opportunity to share my knowledge with children and adults alike.  I am thankful that I can read and can afford to have books on my shelf (that I don't really need) waiting for me to read them.  

On another note about privilege and sharing.... I have a best friend.  Not the BFF, not the most Beautiful Woman in the world, not my teaching partners or my students, but the Creator of the Universe.  Yes, I met Him through a book, and my parents.  Jesus and the relationship I have with Him is an amazing, unfathomable gift.  It is a gift, I have to share.  If you know God, then let people know about the joy you experience in his presence and pray they want to experience it too.  

Much Love